Prophecy of the Moon
by LunaeShark
Summary: When Chandra enters the Underland, she's not sure what to make of it, but, as a government experiment, she doesn't want to return home. Queen Luxa doesn't argue, for there's a new prophecy, and Chandra's help is needed. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the series the Underland Chronicles. Suzanne Collins owns them.**

**The only characters that are mine are those I created (they are not found in the books)**

**Disclaimer Two: I'd like everyone to know this story is my own creation and is not in any way based** **on _Gregor and the Prophecy of Flight V2_ by Seraphania, or any other similar fanfics. Any likeness between the two stories is entirely coincidential. ****I have not even read Seraphania's story, though she has suggested I do so to prevent too much similarity (and being flamed). I will read it ASAP, and attempt to deviate from its storyline as much as possible without ruining my own storyline. Thanks to Seraphania for pointing this out to me!****

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Chapter One

Chandra watched, disinterested, as the tall buildings flashed by her window.

_New York_? she thought to herself. _Most kids my age would give anything to be here._ She almost laughed, but refused to break the thick silence of the car.

_Most aren't like me,_ she added, almost sad. _In fact, no one's like me._

The driver, Mr. Hennison, glanced into the rear-view mirror.

"Cheer up," he said, his voice hard. "You're lucky to be living here."

"Until we move again," muttered Chandra.

The other inhabitant of the vehicle, a woman, Dr. Delinz, frowned at Chandra, then turned around and looked out her own window.

The apartment had six rooms. Kitchen, living room, bathroom and three bedrooms.

"You're in the second bedroom," said Dr. Delinz as she went into the first.

Chandra headed to the second, wincing at the loud creak of the floorboards outside the door. No way to sneak around. They'd thought of everything.

_They always do,_ whispered part of her, the part that sometimes wanted to just give up.

_No,_ she thought. _I'm not going to become just a 'thing', an 'experiment'. I have feelings and thoughts the same as any normal human. _She hitched up her backpack, which she always wore.

Chandra went to the kitchen, feeling hungry.

"I'm going to get some groceries," said Dr. Delinz, sounding disgusted. "They forgot to supply any food. Stay here." She left, locking the door behind her.

"I hate you," Chandra spat at the closed door. "Locks, orders, hidden cameras, you treat me as if I weren't human." She looked around, but could not find any of the cameras.

_See?_ she told herself. _She's just human, which is why she forgot to set up the cameras before leaving me alone! Serve her right if I ran away._

But she couldn't run away. No money, no food, not much knowledge of the outside world, only what she could glean from books and occasion sneak trips outside.

Sighing, she sat down at the table, resting her head in her hands.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

After hesitating a moment, Chandra shrugged and went to the door. Maybe it was a kidnapper.

_I doubt it_, said the annoying part.

_Shut up,_ she told it.

"Hello? Who is it?" she asked. She tried the peephole but it was useless. Figures. Dr. Delinz and the others wouldn't want her to even see the hall. All the windows in the apartment had locked shutters.

"I'm Mrs. Cormaci. I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. May I come in?"

"Grinning, Chandra opened the door. Served Dr. Delinz right; since she'd forgotten to set up the security cameras, she'd not know Chandra had let someone in.

_Not to mention you said 'stay here',_ Chandra told the absent woman. _I am here, I'm just letting someone in._

Mrs. Cormaci came in, carrying a covered plate, which she handed to Chandra.

"Is your mother home?" she asked.

"Um, no..."

"Well, then, I won't stay long. That's cake, by the way. You are?"

Chandra set the cake onto the table. "Have a seat. I'm Chandra."

"Nice to meet you, Chandra..."

The girl pretended not to hear the obvious question. "Have you lived here long?"

"Oh, yes, I have. How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Chandra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This must be the nosy busybody of the apartment building.

"Ah! Another teenager, and so polite. Have you met Gregor yet?"

"No. We just got here today."

"Oh! You must be tired. Did you come far?"

"Not really." They'd come from Pennsylvania, but Chandra wasn't going to say so. That might lead to questions she couldn't answer, like _Where in Pennsylvania?_ or _Why did you move?_.

"Well, I better let you rest, then. I'll introduce you to Gregor and his sisters some other day. Good-bye, Chandra! Welcome to New York!"

Blinking, Chandra locked the door again, then yawned. A long day it had been, and Mrs. Cormaci had been so energetic Chandra felt even more tired.

_Maybe tomorrow I can go out_, she thought, heading to her room for a nap.

The next day Chandra was again left by herself. She knew the routine. For a few days Dr. Delinz would be busy with paperwork and such, then Chandra would be stuck at home all day with her 'caretaker'.

_Guard, more like_, she thought to herself as she locked the apartment door. _Oh, well. A few days of freedom will be nice. I wonder why she hasn't set up the cameras yet?_

As she headed down the hall for the stairs - she was deathly afraid of elevators - Chandra met Mrs. Cormaci.

"Hello, Chandra," said the woman. "I was just going to get you. Gregor and his sisters are going to the park with me while their parents go out to eat, so I was wondering if you'd like to come?"

"Um, sure," said Chandra. She followed Mrs. Cormaci down the stairs, silently wishing that Dr. Delinz wouldn't be back for a long time.

They met the other three in the lobby, a tall boy about her age, perhaps a little older, with shaggy brown hair and a secretive look in his eyes, a thin girl with pale skin who looked about eleven or twelve, and a little girl, perhaps seven years old, wearing a yellow coat.

"This is Gregor," said Mrs. Cormaci, indicating the boy. "And Lizzie-" The older of the two girls "-and Margaret, well, Boots."

"It's a nickname," said Gregor for explanation.

"This is Chandra," said Mrs. Cormaci.

"Chandra?' asked Lizzie. "What does that mean?"

"Silver," said Boots, pointing at Chandra's hair. "She has pretty hair."

Chandra felt suddenly self-conscious about her long, light coloured hair and grey eyes.

"It means 'moon'," she said. "Lizzie, short for Elizabeth?"

Lizzie nodded.

"Elizabeth means 'my god is an oath'. Margaret means 'pearl', and Gregor means 'watchful' or 'alert'."

"How do you know all that?" asked Lizzie.

"I spend most of my time reading," replied Chandra. "Once I had nothing to read but a book on names, so I studied that for a while."

"Don't you go to school?" asked Lizzie in surprise.

"Lizzie, enough questions," said Gregor. "Come on, let's go before it gets dark."

"Sorry," said Lizzie to Chandra. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"It wasn't rude," replied Chandra. "I don't go to school. I don't even have textbooks."

"Then what do you do?"

"Read. Sometimes I'll write, but I'm not that good." Chandra looked at the concrete of the sidewalk they were walking along. She hated to lie already, but she couldn't tell the truth, about how she was an experiment, and was always moving, either because someone found out who she really was or to go some place where she was more 'accessible' for tests. "We move around a lot," she added, for lack of something better to say.

Mrs. Cormaci frowned. "But why would your parents do that?"

"I... I only have a mother," replied Chandra. "She... Her job requires a lot of moving around, and we don't have any relatives I can stay with..." A bird called above and she glanced up, watching it dip and soar through the air.

"That must be hard."

"Sometimes. Where's the park?"

"We're almost there," replied Mrs. Cormaci. "It's not very big, but we don't go to Central Park. It's not safe."

Chandra nodded, and returned her gaze to the sky.

"Here we are," said Mrs. Cormaci, leading the way between the wide open iron gates. Green grass and trees, fountains, paths and benches, even a small playground where some younger kids were playing. Margaret, or Boots, ran over to the playground and Mrs. Cormaci followed her rather hurriedly, Gregor and Lizzie not far behind.

Chandra followed them, looking around. She easily picked out the squirrels scampering around in the trees, or sitting, motionless, as a large bird flew overhead. Birds' nests were more well hidden, but she spotted several on the way. It was almost peaceful here, a slight hideaway from the bustle of the city.

Mrs. Cormaci sat down on a bench with a book.

"I'll watch Boots," she told them. "You three run along. Be back in an hour or so. Gregor, you make sure no one bothers the girls, all right? There were some hoodlums around a few days ago, but the police should have chased them off by now."

"Sure, Mrs. Cormaci," muttered Gregor.

"Can we go feed the swans?" asked Lizzie. "I brought some bread."

"Sounds like a plan," replied Gregor.

"Are you coming?" Lizzie asked Chandra.

"If you don't mind," replied Chandra. "I'd love to."

"Come on, then."

The pond wasn't far, and Lizzie handed Chandra a hunk of bread.

"Break off small pieces," she ordered. "And toss it to them. Watch how they bend their necks to pick it up!"

"They're beautiful," said Chandra as she tossed the bread. "Have you ever seen a black swan?"

"No, only pictures, but I'd like to, someday." Lizzie smiled shyly, then asked, "Have you seen one?"

"Once I saw two of them, flying overhead," replied Chandra. "They looked like living ebony."

"Wow." Lizzie was silent a moment. "Do you like bats?"

Chandra stiffened, noticing that Gregor did the same, and had a strange look on his face. She forced her tense face to relax into a smile. "Yes, I like bats. Especially the way they use echolocation. It's neat how they can find bugs even in the pitch black."

After giving her a strange look, Lizzie nodded. "Wouldn't it be cool of humans could do that?"

"Lizzie," said Gregor sharply. "Enough with the questions."

Lizzie flushed, and Chandra came to the girl's rescue.

"It's all right," she told Gregor. "I don't mind. Which do you mean, Lizzie? Echolocation or finding bugs?"

She was rewarded with a bright smile from the younger girl.

"Echolocation," answered Lizzie.

"Some people can," Chandra said thoughtfully. "Like blind people. I read it in a book once."

Lizzie nodded, then started to throw bread to the swans again.

Chandra glanced at Gregor. "I'll be back."

He nodded, and she turned, walking in the direction of the playground. Before she reached it, though, Chandra turned and headed into a small clump of trees.

The sounds of the playground became muted, and Chandra found a small bench where she sat down, closing her eyes and listening.

Birdsong, the chittering of squirrels, on occasional rustle of leaves when a small breeze passed by. After listening for a few moments, Chandra concentrated on blocking out each sound, focusing on her breathing. And as always, wonder of wonders, the world blossomed across her mind. Grey if rock or plants, grey tinged red if it was an animal.

Someone cleared their throat and she lost her focus, her eyes flying open. Chandra froze, for there was a group of five boys standing in front of her, wearing hooded sweatshirts that had the insignia 'Lightning Storm' on the front with a bolt of yellow lightning going through the words.

"What do you want?" she asked cautiously, standing, ready to run.

"What's a chick like you doing out in the park all by yourself?" asked the leader. He had a pierced ear from which dangled a silver ring. They all had spiked hair, and Chandra clenched her teeth, holding back the fear that was slowly approaching. _Stay calm_, she told herself, and managed to say, "Nothing."

"What's in the bag?" he dropped any pretenses of niceness. "Give it to us and we'll let you go unharmed."

"No!" Chandra stepped back and up, onto the bench. "You can't have it."

"What in the bag?" he demanded again, drawing out a jackknife, the edge serrated and stained brown.

Chandra fought to stay calm, feeling the panic rise. _Not now_, she begged herself. _Don't do anything stupid._

"Nothing," she replied, and crouched slightly, raising her fists. "You're not getting it, anyway."

"Wanna bet?" asked the boy, leering.

"_Want to bet_?" asked another voice, coming from Chandra's right. Gregor was standing there, arms crossed. "Beat it, or the police will get you. Someone's calling them right now."

The other boys shifted, unsure, but the leader glared them into submission.

"Not without that bag I'm not. Two against five, you don't have a chance."

"I don't want to fight," said Gregor. "Leave or I'll have to."

"Give it your best shot," replied the leader gleefully. "My knife's ready."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Afterward, Chandra wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but somehow Gregor had gotten across the distance separating him and the other boy, knocked the knife away, snatched it out of thin air while at the same time crashing into the leader, knocking him onto his back, and placed the knife at his throat.

There was an audible gasp from the other boys, and they raced off, not even glancing back to see how their leader fared.

"You surrender?" Gregor asked, his voice calm.

"Yes," gasped the other boy. "Get off."

Gregor stood, then closed the jackknife and hurled it through the trees, away from the park.

The leader leapt at him, and somehow Gregor sensed it and dove aside, then rolled and was on his feet in less than a second. A few seconds later the boy was pinned to the ground again.

Mrs. Cormaci came racing up at that point, a policeman behind him, and a few minutes later the boy was being dragged away in handcuffs.

"Time to go home," said Mrs. Cormaci firmly. "Gregor..."

"Geez, I'm sorry, but he was bothering her." He pointed at Chandra. "There were four others but they ran once I'd pinned their leader down the first time."

"At least no one got hurt this time," said Mrs. Cormaci. "Chandra, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," the girl replied, jumping down from the bench. "They frightened me a bit, but I'm okay."

"Good. Sorry that this happened..."

"It's okay," insisted Chandra. "I had fun, except for them. The swans were cool... Where's Lizzie and... Margaret?"

"Boots," corrected Mrs. Cormaci. "She insists we call her that. They're back at the playground. We need to get them, then let's go."

"I agree," said Gregor. "Those other boys might get up enough confidence to attack again."

"Not while I'm with you," replied the woman. "And I'm sure you gave them a good enough show they wouldn't dare."

He winced. "Sorry," he said again.

"I'm not going to tell your parents, because your mother will get worried again and your father has enough on his mind. But try to control yourself, Gregor, a little more. There was no need to get violent, the police were on their way."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "All right. Next time I'll let them threaten whoever I'm protecting with a jackknife until the police get there."

"A jackknife?" Mrs. Cormaci sighed. "Sorry, Gregor, I didn't know about that... Lizzie! Boots!"

They ran over.

"Hi, you!" said Boots, waving at Chandra, before tugging on Gregor's sleeve. "Piggyback ride, please, Gregor, piggyback ride!"

"Okay, okay." He knelt down and let her scramble onto his back, then stood, pretending to stumble under her weight. "You're heavy, Boots."

Lizzie came over, calling a good-bye to a boy her age sitting on a bench.

"Good-bye, Jedidiah!"

"Good-bye, Elizabeth!" he called back.

She waved, then Mrs. Cormaci led the way back to the apartment building.

"Since you move a lot," started the woman as they walked along. "Do you know how long you will be here in New York?"

"No." Chandra shrugged. "Until it's time for... Mother to go somewhere else."

"Is it hard moving so much? What about the friends you make before you have to move again? Do you write?"

Chandra shook her head, but didn't say anything, not wanting to explain how she was never around other kids, unless they were like her, experimental 'property' in the care of doctors. She saw very few of them, since it was deemed unsafe to have more than one 'experiment' in the same town. If one was discovered, the other might also be discovered.

Neither was she around normal kids; because that was also thought unsafe, for fear that she might decide to run away or in case she was found out. So she rarely got to meet other people her age.

"What kind of books do you like to read?" asked Lizzie.

"Anything and everything," replied Chandra. "Do you know any other languages?"

"Not yet."

"I know three fluently, and can speak a fourth enough to get by." Chandra looked up when a bird started to sing. It was a sparrow perched on a stop sign, oblivious to all the cars passing by.

"Four?" asked Mrs. Cormaci. "Which ones?"

"English, Spanish, Latin, French," replied Chandra. "French I'm not too good with, though, because I don't get a chance to speak it much."

"Wow," said Lizzie, her eyes wide. "I've always wanted to speak French."

"I might be able to teach you some," offered Chandra. "If you want, that is."

"Oh, please?" Lizzie smiled. "That would be cool."

"Sure. I'll have to ask Mother first, though." Chandra held back a sigh. Dr. Delinz was almost sure to say no, and would insist on supervising even if she allowed it.

"Okay."

In the lobby Mrs. Cormaci headed for the elevator with the others.

"You coming?" she asked.

Chandra shook her head. "I don't like elevators."

"See you, then." Mrs. Cormaci waved as the elevator door closed.

Chandra raced up the stairs and hurried into the apartment. The caretaker wasn't back yet, thankfully, so she was safe.

Humming to herself, Chandra picked up a book and sprawled on the couch, looking as though she'd been there all day.

Dr. Delinz returned a few hours later, just as Chandra was finishing a cheese sandwich.

"I'm going back out," she said. "Don't let anyone in; there's a woman named Mrs. Cormaci who was asking me questions a few minutes ago until I threatened to call the police. Don't you talk to her or you can stay at the center, you hear me?"

"Yes, Dr. Delinz," replied Chandra. "I'll stay right here."

"Good." The woman looked at her for a moment, frowning. "If you don't think you can manage to keep the door locked, then you can come with me."

"I'll be fine," snapped Chandra.

"You better be, or I could get fired, and you'll get a new caretaker, one who isn't so lenient." The woman looked at her once more, then grabbed her purse and stalked out of the apartment.

"Wonder what she wanted?" muttered Chandra. "Didn't even stop for lunch." Shrugging, the girl finished the last bite of her sandwich, rinsed off her plate and stuck it in the tiny dishwasher.

"Now what shall I do?" she asked herself aloud. "Read, I guess."

She went into her room and lay on her bed, reading, until it started to grow dark.

Finally, sighing, Chandra went out to get something to eat in the kitchen.

She heated a pop-tart in the toaster, ate it with a glass of milk, and was just starting to scramble an egg while the pan heated when Dr. Delinz returned.

"Want some?" Chandra asked, cracking another egg.

"Sure, but get it made fast. I've a meeting in an hour and you're coming."

Chandra quickly cooked the eggs and divided them onto two plates, one of which she left on the counter while pouring maple syrup over the other. She ate her eggs quickly, then went to get her jacket.

When she returned the dishwasher was running and Dr. Delinz was waiting impatiently for her charge.

"Come on, I'm going to be late!" She hurried Chandra outside and hailed a taxi.

"Central Park," she told the driver, and he tore off down the streets.

They reached the park. The sun would be setting soon, Chandra noticed, and she bit her lip, having read many stories about kids in the Central Park after nightfall.

_Dr. Delinz and whoever she's meeting will be there,_ she reminded herself as she followed the woman down a gravel path. _They wouldn't allow anyone to hurt me_.

"Be silent while we talk," ordered Dr. Delinz. "There they are."

Two men wearing black overcoats were standing by a loud, splashing fountain.

Chandra kept her head down and played with a strap dangling from the backpack she still wore.

The doctor greeted the two men, and they began to converse quietly. Chandra was told to stay where she was, then the trio moved off a little ways, where she couldn't hear them.

She edged slightly closer, then closed her eyes and concentrated on hearing them.

A few minutes later, she managed to make out part of the conversation. And it made her blood run cold.

"So, this... girl is one of the center's experiments?" asked one of the men, his voice deeper pitched than his companions.

"Yes, Chandra is the one with _Chiroptera_ DNA," replied Dr. Delinz.

"But she is not cooperating?"

"No. She thinks I don't notice, but she was out earlier today, not to mention a found a partly eaten cake in the cupboard that I know wasn't made by her, despite her saying so. I fear that you are right when you say there is no other choice but to imprison her at the center."

"That could arouse unwanted attention, should we move her immediately," replied the second man. "A few weeks' time, and it will be safe to do so."

"Oh, no, you don't tell me that! You can take her tonight. I didn't come to work for the center just to baby-sit a kid all the time! Besides, she's tried to escape twice since I was put in charge of her."

"I simply don't have a place for her yet," replied the first man. "One week's time at least, I need."

"And then you can lock her up?" asked Dr. Delinz. "I'm sick of watching her all the time, tired of seeing that backpack every time I turn around."

"Yes, of course," assured the second man. "And she won't escape from the center, I assure you..."

Chandra took a deep breath, then turned and ran. She was not going to locked up in a room for the rest of her life, she'd rather die!

A moment later she heard a shout; they'd noticed that she was gone.

Gasping for breath, she got off the path, ran up a hill and down the other side, then collapsed next to a large rock, hoping that her dark clothes and the deepening dusk would hide her sufficiently.

The shouts grew closer with each passing second, and Chandra pressed herself closer to the rock. Suddenly, it moved, and a slight musty smell came from beneath it.

Chandra felt the base, and found a small opening. The rock was covering the rest, she guessed. But was it a large enough opening to let her through? Was there a tunnel underneath?

Frowning, she pushed the rock, budging it slightly, then heaved her entire weight against the stone. It slid, rasping, across the ground, and she winced at the noise.

A minute later the opening was uncovered, a hole in the ground about two feet wide, just large enough for Chandra and her backpack to fit.

She eased herself in, hoping it wasn't a long drop down, then let go, landing at a crouch a few seconds later.

A minute passed as she stayed where she was, unsure whether she should venture into the darkness.

Voices suddenly started above her, and a flashlight beam cut through the darkness. Chandra barely managed to back out of the way before the light reached her, then held her breath, hoping she'd not be spotted.

"She's down there, I'll bet my hat on it," said the man with the deep voice. "Chandra, get up here!"

She didn't move, and a couple minutes later the beam went out.

"Fine then, you can stay there until you're ready come up," said the man, a hint of cruelness in his tone. "I'll be back tomorrow night. You're not going anywhere."

"What are you doing?" asked Dr. Delinz. "You can't leave her in there, she's valuable!"

"Not if she doesn't cooperate," growled the man. "Give me a hand with this."

"Ooph!" The other man groaned. "How'd she move this thing? It's so heavy!"

"Put your back to it, you idiot," snapped the first.

The stone suddenly slid over the hole, cutting off the second man's retort.

Chandra shivered, and reached into her pocket for the flashlight she always kept there. Only, the batteries wouldn't last long. Instead, she closed her eyes, not that it made any difference, and concentrated on her breathing again. Not exactly what most people thought of as echolocation, but it worked the same way.

The grey world sprung up behind her eyelids and she turned in a circle, looking for anything unusual.

A board, half rotted, lay by the wall, the teethmarks of some large animal still present. A tunnel, too, but she wasn't sure she should go down it.

A sudden noise behind her caused her to spin and cough slightly, the louder noise heightening her 'vision'.

A quick intake of breath, and Chandra almost screamed, for a large animal, slightly taller than her, stood there. She pulled out her flashlight and flicked it on.

It was a giant rat, its eyes squeezed shut against the sudden light.

Chandra bit back a scream, turned, and ran down the tunnel.

The rat shouted something, words? But Chandra ignored them. The tunnel suddenly split and she turned sharply, then found herself in thin air as she fell down a hole she hadn't noticed until it was too late.

Reflexively she dropped the flashlight, the light spiraling as it fell. And fell, and fell. How far was the drop? Chandra wondered. She tore at the buckles across her chest and waist that held the backpack on, cursing her stupidity of not removing it before now.

There was a distant sound, the flashlight had hit the floor.

She looked down, but could barely see the light, so it was a long fall still. And the backpack wouldn't come off.

Finally, angry with herself, Chandra yanked open her jacket and held the edges out to the sides. It trapped some air, and she fell slower. The light was approaching too fast, though.

A few seconds later, she crashed to the ground, not far from the flashlight.

_Oh, no_, she thought just as she blacked out, feeling the pain in her left wrist. _I hope I didn't break it..._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Chandra winced as consciousness returned, biting her lip to keep back a whimper. Her wrist hurt like crazy, everything hurt from the impact, but her wrist hurt the most. Broken, or badly sprained.

Something nudged her in the side, and a gasp burst from her mouth.

"Oh, good, you're alive," said a voice. "I didn't want to haul a carcass down to the Waterway, anyway. Are you an Overlander? You don't smell like an Underlander, but you look like one."

Chandra groaned, trying to process the rapid-fire speech.

"What's an Overlander?" she asked, trying to sit up. Her side flared. _Must have bruised a few ribs_, she thought to herself, trying not to think about her wrist, which was fiery with pain.

"You must be an Overlander, then!" said the voice in surprise. "You came from above, didn't you? Where the-" There was a pause as though whoever was speaking was trying to find the right word. "-sun is?"

"Yes," replied Chandra shortly. "What's an Underlander?"  
"Anyone who lives in the Underland, of course. Are all Overlanders as thick-headed as you? Barring the dead warrior, of course."

Chandra winced and ran her right hand's fingers through her hair. "Underland? Warrior?"

"This is the Underland," replied the voice impatiently. "And the warrior was some Overland boy who came down a couple years ago and was in some prophecies."

Chandra's head was now definitely spinning, and she remembered the rat in the tunnel. "Hold on," she said. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, but I just climbed through a hole in the ground, Dr. Delinz and these two guys trapped me down there, I got chased by a giant rat and fell through another hole. Could you please not talk so fast?"

"Look who's talking. Who's Dr. Delinz? What did the rat look like?"

"She's supposedly my caretaker, but is more like a prison guard." Chandra thought back to the quick glimpse she'd gotten before running. "I don't know, it was big and brown."

"Why are you guarded?"

"Because according to the CGE, I'm not a real person. I'm an _experiment_, they say."

"Experiment? What does CGE mean? Did the rat have any obvious scars?"

Chandra was silent for a moment, still trying to shake away the dizziness. "Center of Genetic Experimentation, that's what it means. No scars that I noticed..." She remembered something. "It had only one eye, though."

"Huh. I thought Blackeye was dead. Can you stand? I've got to report to Ripred if what you say is true."

"Of course it's true! Why would I lie?"

"Don't know," replied the voice, after a moment's hesitation. "Can you get up?"

"I think so..." Chandra stood slowly, wavering slightly as her ribs protested at the movement. "I lost my flashlight, though. Can you hold on a moment?"

"Yes, yes."

Chandra focused again, and the world blossomed. It was getting easier, she'd never done it so much in one day before. She turned slowly, looking. There, a slight reddish glow in the right shape for the flashlight. She went over and picked it up, then flicked the switch. Nothing. She flipped it off, then on, then shook it vigorously. The light flared for a second, illuminating another rat right in front of her. She dropped the flashlight with a squeak and the light blinked out again.

Fumbling, she found it again and stuck it into her pocket, then looked for the rat again, her heartbeat speeding up.

"Did you have to shine that in my eyes?" asked the voice. "I'm not used to so much light."

"Sorry... Who... What are you?" Chandra had found the creature again and concentrated on sharpening the image in her mind.

"I'm Twitchtongue, because I talk a lot. I'm a gnawer."

"Gnawer?"

"Underland term for rat. Every species has a different name, spinner for spider, flyer for bat... What?"

Chandra had breathed in sharply at the last one. "Nothing. Are you all so..."

"Large in size? Yes. The nibblers are a little smaller than you, but the flyers can carry a full grown human and the spinners can be as high as your chest. The crawlers also reach about chest height. Is it true that in the Overland rats and spiders and all the others are small?"

"Yes." Chandra started to shake slightly, then stopped, wincing. Giant spiders? She hated spiders, really and truly hated them. Old nightmares she used to have about being caught in a spider's web flashed across her mind.

"What's your name?" asked Twitchtongue. "Can you walk? I need to report to Ripred and you'll want to talk to the humans."

"There are humans here?" asked Chandra faintly.

"Yes. Sandwich brought them here a long time ago. They can be trouble at times, but right now there is peace between all the species, except a few of the non-warmblood species, but they don't often venture near Regalia. Can you walk?"

"Yes." Chandra followed the voice, watching her step, feeling with her foot before putting her weight down.

"What's that?" she asked, hearing a loud rushing noise, like a large river.

"That is the Waterway. We'll follow it for a bit, then go through the tunnels to Regalia," replied the rat. "Can you go a bit faster?"

Chandra increased her pace to a fast walk, all her muscles protesting.

"You have a strange scent," remarked Twitchtongue. "Part human, but part something else. What does it mean, that you're an experiment? Are you not human?"

"Of course I am!" Chandra snapped. "I have _Chiroptera_ DNA, that's all."

"_Chiroptera_? What does that mean?"

"It's the Latin name for the order of bats," replied Chandra wearily, tired of the constant questions.

"What does the DNA do?" asked the rat.

"The CGE doesn't know what it does when mixed, so they try different combinations of DNA from different species. I once met a boy who was part fish and frog. He had gills and his hands and feet were webbed."

"What happened to him?"

"I'm not quite sure, but sometimes the DNA mix is messed up and they die. I think that's what happened to him."

"Will it happen to you?"

"I don't know," replied Chandra, gritting her teeth. Thoughts about death were one of the things she avoided completely. No one knew how long she would live, only time would tell, as the ancient proverb went. "Enough with the questions, okay?"

"Sorry. Just one more?"

"What?"

"If he had gills and webs because he was part fish and frog, what about you?"

Chandra was silent for a moment, unsure how to answer. She'd kept the secret for so long, it was hard to imagine just telling someone else the truth, instead of the fabricated lies she was used to.

Suddenly Twitchtongue gave a soft growl. "Run!"

Chandra raced along, following the sound of the rat running. Behind her came shouts, though they didn't sound like humans.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"Quiet! It's rats. If they catch us... We're done for."

"But you're... A rat..." panted Chandra.

"They aren't... On my side," replied Twitchtongue. "Hurry!" He suddenly made a high squeak.

An answering squeak came from ahead.

"That's the tunnel; run!"

Chandra bit back a sharp retort, saving her breath for running. They shot through an opening.

The rat stopped so fast Chandra slammed into him.

"Sorry," she said, wincing, as her ribs and wrist flared.

"Twitchtongue?" asked another voice, slightly higher pitched. Female, Chandra guessed.

"Curltail. Yes, it's me. I found a human back near where that tunnel is above. I'm going to report to Ripred."

"Good. Tell him that trio was around a few hours ago," said the other rat. "Who's the human?"

"I didn't catch her name..."

"It's Chandra," said Chandra, rolling her eyes. The rat hadn't thought to ask her name before.

"Better hurry, Twitchtongue, they're getting closer. Run like the river."

"Run like the river, Curltail," replied Twitchtongue, then started down the tunnel. Chandra followed him.

An hour later they walked through some sort of soft curtain, into the middle of a large field. Chandra blinked at the sudden brightness, and looked around. The rat looked uneasy as he glanced from side to side.

There were rows upon rows of seats filling the place, and Chandra looked up, her mouth dropping open when she realized what she was seeing. Bats were flying overhead, riders sitting on them. Something was being passed back and forth, a ball she figured out. Some sort of game.

The ball suddenly fell toward the ground, and a cry went up from the onlookers.

"Amateurs," snorted Twitchtongue. "The ball isn't allowed to touch the ground."

"Really?" asked Chandra, a sudden idea coming to her. If the rat wanted the truth, why not reveal it dramatically? "Guess someone better do something about it, then." Her backpack came off easily now that she could see the buckles, and she dropped it onto the ground, then leapt into the air.

Twitchtongue jumped back, ready to ask what she planned on doing, when the words died in his throat. Now he could see what effect the _Chiroptera _DNA had had.

Chandra shot into the air, her wings spread, thin bones supporting even thinner membrane. She grabbed the ball from the air and threw it upwards, almost striking a bat that had been diving in vain after the ball.

The look of surprise on its rider's face was comical, and he almost fell off the bat when it changed direction, heading after the ball.

Chandra landed lightly on the ground a yard or so from Twitchtongue, her wings folding against her back, beneath the jacket, which had slits, like her shirt, for them to go through.

"That was fun," she said.

"Are you _crazy_?" gasped the rat. "That's going to get you into a lot of trouble."

"What do you mean?" Chandra was confused, and annoyed that he hadn't mentioned her wings and called her crazy.

"Players aren't allowed to join the game once it has started, so you just ended it," replied Twitchtongue.

"But it was going to end, anyway."

"There's no way of knowing." The rat grinned slightly, showing off long incisors. "Ripred will be pleased, though. He thinks it's a waste of time."

A bat approached them, carrying a man wearing a leather tunic, a sword strapped to his side.

Chandra noticed in surprise that he only had one leg.

"Mareth," Twitchtongue greeted him.

"Twitchtongue. Who is this?"

"She is Chandra," replied Twitchtongue. "I need to speak to Ripred."

"You know where to find him," Mareth said, then turned his attention the Chandra. "Come, you will wish to bathe before any more rats show up, wondering what an Overlander is doing down here... Are you an Overlander? Your hair is much like ours."

"Twitchtongue says I'm an Overlander." Chandra shrugged. "And my hair's always been this colour."

"Strange, it is almost silver in shade," remarked Mareth. "Come, Andromeda will carry us both."

"I think she does not need assistance," purred the bat. "Is it true what they-" She indicated the bats still circling above. "-just told me? You can fly?"

"Surely not," said Mareth. "There's no way..." He stopped, because Chandra had unfolded her wings again.

"What _are_ you?" he asked. "Never mind, Queen Luxa will wish to speak to you immediately, and you should bathe."

Chandra nodded. "I can follow you."

"Then do so." Andromeda took off, hovering for a moment.

Chandra glanced at Twitchtongue, nervous about leaving the only person, well, only rat she knew in this strange place.

"Fly you high," said Twitchtongue. "I'll see you later."

"Run like the river," replied Chandra, hoping it was the right thing to say. She took off and followed Andromeda, staying slightly to the right and just above the bat.

"How is it that you can fly?" asked Mareth. "It is stranger than anything I have ever heard of."

"I was created," replied Chandra, not looking at him. "Some scientists mixed _Chiroptera_ DNA with human DNA and made me."

"That is not natural," said Andromeda. She sounded as if she were frowning, though Chandra couldn't tell. "Why would Overlanders do such a thing?"

"I don't know. I guess they thought it was fun playing God," replied Chandra, half-smiling. Dr. Delinz would have been furious if the woman had heard her.

"I do not know who this 'God' is, but humans should not mess with nature," said the bat reprovingly.

"You can try telling that to _them_," muttered Chandra.

"Where did you come from?" asked Mareth. "Where in the Overland, I mean?"

"New York City. In Central Park I fell down a hole," replied Chandra. "Is it much farther to where we're going?"

"Not far. We are almost there. Regalia is right below us, and we are headed into the heart of it, where the palace is."

Chandra looked down, gasping in amazement, for the buildings below were beautifully carved out of a misty grey stone.

"It's beautiful," she cried. "How'd they make it so perfect?"

"It's been worked on for hundreds of years," replied Mareth. "Each new generation adds more to the beauty, until it becomes like this."

"New York's been around for a long time, too, but it's nothing like this." Chandra looked around, trying to see everything at once. "Nor is any other place I've ever been."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry to have taken a while to get this next chapter up. I've been busy with NaNoWriMo and company.**

**Hopefully I'll get some more chapters up soon.**

* * *

Chapter Four

"Here we are," said Mareth as they approached one of the larger buildings. "You might hide your wings. It will take time for the others to get used to them."

"Oh!" Chandra remembered that she'd left her backpack in the field. "I left my backpack."

"No matter, someone will put it in the museum," replied Mareth. "Later you can retrieve it."

"All right," said Chandra, biting her lip.

They landed on a stone ledge, and Andromeda and Chandra folded their wings.

"It is nice to fly with a human," purred the bat, her tone kind. "You fly well."

"Thanks," said Chandra. "I used to have a lot of practice. They ran all sorts of tests on me, testing my strength and endurance and speed, that sort of thing."

The bat nodded but didn't reply.

Chandra hoped she hadn't offended the bat.

"You will follow," said Mareth. "Queen Luxa is waiting impatiently, no doubt." He led the way through several halls, finally opening a door and going in. Chandra followed cautiously, Andromeda right behind her.

It was a large room, with a stone table and chairs. There was a gathering of creatures, a bat, a giant cockroach, a mouse, two rats, a spider and what looked like a star-nosed mole. Lastly, there was a girl who looked a year or so older than Chandra, wearing a thin gold circlet in her ash blond hair.

One look at the girl and Chandra knew this must be the queen. It was also obvious that the girl was used to getting her own way.

"What is the meaning of this, Mareth?" asked the girl. "We have been waiting ever since Andromeda took you to the field for some reason. Who is this girl?"

"She is Chandra," replied Mareth. "From _New York City_."

The girl blinked, a surprised look on her face.

"How did she get in?" asked one of the rats, a scar that looked like an X on his muzzle. "I thought we posted guards everywhere."

"Better tell them how you got here," Mareth told Chandra.

"I was running away from Dr. Delinz and two men when I pushed the rock and found and opening beneath it. The men pushed the rock back so that I was caught, then a rat frightened me and I fell through a hole," said Chandra in one breath. "Twitchtongue found me and brought me here. He says the rat who frightened me was named... Blackeye."

"Blackeye?" asked the second rat. "I thought he was dead."

"So did I," said the first rat grimly.

"We have not introduced ourselves," purred the bat, black and white in colour. Female, Chandra thought. "I am Nike," the bat added, nodding graciously to Chandra. "This is Temp-" the cockroach waved its antennae "-Heronian-" the mouse nodded "-Lapblood and Ripred-" the rats. The one with the scar was frowning. "-Cerrroguasl-" the mole "-And Reflex, and Queen Luxa."

"Hello," said Chandra, her muscles tensed. Why did that rat have to chase her? Now she was standing not three yards from a giant spider.

"Greetings," said the mouse. "You come from the same place as the dead warrior?"

Chandra frowned. "What are you talking about? What warrior?"

"Oh, you do not know of him," said Luxa. "But he is most famous here."

"She might," said the mouse. "One city is not so large."

"Maybe if you told me who this warrior guy is I might be able to tell you whether I do or do not know him," said Chandra. "And then could I go home, please?"

"Surely not yet!" exclaimed Mareth. "Luxa, she can fly!"

"The prophecy," said a humming voice. The spider was rubbing her two front legs over her chest, making the noise.

Chandra swallowed and took a step back, almost walking into Andromeda.

"Prophecy?" she asked. Somehow she knew her life was never going to be the same. There was also a distinct feeling that she would not be returning to New York City anytime soon.

Heronian nodded, her voice solemn. "When Sandwich brought the first humans here, he carved many prophecies on the walls of a room. Some have been fulfilled, some have yet to be. Five prophecies have been fulfilled since the Overland warrior first came here, but there are still many waiting to be translated."

"But who is the warrior?" asked Chandra. She didn't know many people in New York, and none that she'd call a warrior.

"He is called Gregor," said Luxa quietly. "Do you truly fly?"

"Yes, but... I know a Gregor! I met him earlier today! He's really good at fighting, though I don't think he likes to fight."

"Has he siblings?" asked Nike. "Two sisters?"

"Yes! Lizzie and M-Boots. But... He's not a warrior. He's just a teen like me."

"He does not fly," Luxa pointed out.

"True, but..." Chandra paused, at loss for words. She remembered the secret look he'd had, and how he'd told Lizzie to stop asking questions when she'd asked about the bats.

"Good to know his skills aren't being completely wasted," said Ripred. "How are Lizzie and Boots?"

"They looked fine." Chandra shrugged. "I don't know them that well."

"What is this about flying?" asked Luxa again.

Nike conversed with Andromeda for a few minutes. "It is true," she said at last. "She flies, with wings like ours."

"Be she well, the princess, be she well?" asked the cockroach.

"Boots," Mareth told Chandra. "Is known as a princess among the crawlers. The princess, well she be, the princess," he told the crawler.

"Oh. That's interesting." Chandra paused. "What does the prophecy say?"

"It says," Luxa was interrupted when the door burst open.

"I told you they are having an important meeting!" cried a man from the outside as Twitchtongue came racing in.

The rat froze when he realized how many eyes were looking at him.

"Come to report," he said weakly.

"Ripred, that's your division," said Luxa. "Please go elsewhere."

"Yes, _your highness_," the rat mock-bowed, then headed for the door, stopping just outside. "Come along, Twitch. I don't have all day."

"Yes, Ripred." Twitchtongue dropped something by Chandra's feet, then scampered after the other rat.

It was her backpack, and Chandra felt very grateful toward the young rat. She slung it over her shoulders before looking to Luxa.

"You were saying?" she prompted. "The prophecy?"

"It is strange, for some parts are clear while others are not," said Luxa. "I know it not by heart."

"I can recite it," said Heronian. "It goes like this..."

ONCE THE WARRIOR IS DEAD  
AND THE FORCES ARE COMBINED  
ALL HOPE GONE AND PEACE HAS FLED  
TAKE YOU MUST ONE OF EACH KIND

OVER, UNDER, FLYER, CRAWLER  
SPINNER, DIGGER, FLUTTERFLY  
NIBBLER, GNAWER, WORK TOGETHER  
UNITED OR ALL SHALL DIE

RISETH DOTH THE CHEWING FORCE  
COMETH DOTH THE FLYING MOON  
UNITE HOPE, OR DIVIDE REMORSE  
CHOOSE YOU MUST, THEY COMETH SOON

OVER, UNDER, FLYER, CRAWLER  
SPINNER, DIGGER, FLUTTERFLY  
NIBBLER, GNAWER, WORK TOGETHER  
UNITED OR ALL SHALL DIE

FLY YOU HIGH, LIKE RIVER RUN  
LIGHT BE YOURS, NO DARKNESS CLAIM  
DIG CLAWS DEEP BENEATH THE SUN  
ALL TOGETHER HAVE ONE AIM

OVER, UNDER, FLYER, CRAWLER  
SPINNER, DIGGER, FLUTTERFLY  
NIBBLER, GNAWER, WORK TOGETHER  
UNITED OR ALL SHALL DIE

"I see what you mean," said Chandra. "It's clear as mud."

"Not all so," corrected Luxa. "When Gregor was here last, he broke the sword he'd been given, refusing to fight anymore. So 'the warrior is dead'. 'The forces combined', all the creatures you see in this room live in peace with each other now."

"But the 'peaces has fled' line makes no sense," said the rat. "For we have great hopes the we might finally come to peace forever. But whether or not that happens depends on several things."

"The next is clear," added Nike. "One from each species must band together and stop the 'chewing forces'."

"Flying moon," breathed Chandra. "You think that's me?"

"In the Overland, they consider the moon feminine, right?" asked the mouse.

"Yes..."

"And you can fly. The flying moon, see?" said Luxa.

Chandra laughed. "My name means 'moon', too." At the blank looks, she bit back a grin. "It's from a different language, you see. Like, Gregor means 'valiant'."

"Truly he is," said Luxa."

"Still you have not gotten over that," said Mareth.

"I know." She sat down, folding her arms. "It's been but four years."

"What have I missed?" asked Ripred, coming in. "Did you tell the Overlander the prophecy yet?"

"Yes, and her name, Ripred, means 'moon'!" Luxa seemed suddenly excited.

"Well, well, well. So the Prophecy of the Moon comes into play at last." The rat sounded bored and somewhat sarcastic. "How good for you, though the warrior has no part in it."

Luxa's jaw clenched. "Do not speak to me so, Ripred."

"What will you do? Kill your bond?"

Chandra looked to Mareth for an explanation.

"For a long time flyers and humans have bonded with each other, like Andromeda and I," he explained quietly. "Right after Gregor broke the sword Ripred and Luxa bonded, the first gnawer/human bond I've ever heard of."

"Oh. I think I understand," said Chandra. She sighed, closing her eyes. It had been a long day, and she was in a strange world that had existed right under her feet. Her wrist was aching, itching a bit as it healed. Not broken then, just a light sprain.

Nike said something to Luxa."

"Oh, yes," said the girl. "Mareth, take Chandra to a room. She will want to bathe and rest. Also, her wrist appears swollen, please get someone to bind it. "

"Thank you," said Chandra. "Good bye." She followed the man and his bat to a small room with a bed.

"The bathing room is there," said Mareth, pointing at a door. "Wash before you sleep. Do you wish me to bandage your wrist?"

"Okay, thanks," said Chandra. "No, it's fine. The swelling is going down already." She headed to the washing room and found a bath with water running from one end to the other. _Cool_. She got undressed and relaxed in the water, which was warm, but not too hot.

There was a goopy sort of soap in a stone dish resting near the edge of the bath, so Chandra washed, then soaked for a bit, finally getting out. She found a soft towel on a chair along with some clean clothing. The shirt had slits in the back just like her own clothing, and Chandra was grateful that someone had noticed the fact.

After dressing she folded the towel and left it on the bench she'd found the clothing on, then went to the bedroom, blew out the small lamp sitting on a shelf next to the bed, and fell asleep.

She was awoken the next morning by a young woman with a sweet smile.

"I'm Dulcet," she told Chandra. "The queen asked for me to bring you to the meeting room after you eat." She set a tray down on Chandra's lap.

"Okay. Thanks." Chandra ate quickly, then Dulcet took the tray.

"Do you wish to dress in something else?"

Chandra shrugged. "I don't care."

"Then will you follow?" Dulcet handed the tray to a passing woman, and led the way back to the meeting room.

Only Luxa was there, along with a beautiful golden bat, who was introduced as Aurora.

"Hi," Chandra said to her. "Nice to meet you."

"The same, Overlander," purred the bat.

Chandra nodded.

"Do sit," said Luxa. "We are waiting for the others."

"I have a question," said Chandra after she sat down. "In the prophecy, there's a repeating stanza, right?"

"Yes. Do you wish me to repeat it?"

"Sure." Chandra listened carefully as Luza spoke the four lines.

OVER, UNDER, FLYER, CRAWLER  
SPINNER, DIGGER, FLUTTERFLY  
NIBBLER, GNAWER, WORK TOGETHER  
UNITED OR ALL SHALL DIE

"I know what some of them are," said Chandra. "But nibbler and flutterfly?"

"The nibblers are known as... mice to you," replied Luxa. "The flutterflies are rarely seen. Large insects with scaly wings, usually grey or brown in colour. They are called moths, I think, in the Overland."

"Moths?" asked Chandra in surprise. "Whoa. Do you have any other species?"

"There are the cutters," replied Luxa, frowning. "That is what we believe the 'chewing force' means, that an army of cutters will be coming."

"Is that bad?" asked Chandra. "What are cutters?"

"Ants," replied Aurora. "You would call them ants."

"And they're big, too?" Chandra shivered. "That's scary." She'd seen a horror movie once of giant ants invading Earth. It hadn't ended well for the humans.

"Very, for cutters think as one, not as individuals, but collectively, and fear only for their queen. Also, they fight well, and are hard to defeat. You see why we are worried that it should mean that."

"Yes, I do." Chandra frowned. "I don't like the sound of that at all. What am I supposed to do to help? I don't even know how to fight."

"That is one thing that is unclear in the prophecy, it tells us not how we must fight the cutters, only fortells when they shall come."

Chandra wrinkled her nose. "How am I supposed to help, then?" she asked. "Since I can't fight. I don't even know anything about this place! What help would I be?"

"I do not know," said Luxa stiffly. "Sandwich's prophecies are not always clear. But he did say that you would come. Perhaps something to do with your coming sets in motion the events leading to the cutters attacking."

Chandra shrugged again. "Are you even sure these 'prophecies' mean anything?"

"Regalians have believed they do for centuries," said a voice behind her. "I doubt they would stop believing in them now."


	5. Chapter 5

**Got this one up quickly; hopefully there aren't any mistakes**

**Someone mentioned it in their review that 'flyers' should be spelled 'fliers'.  
I know it is misspelled but I like my version better. It's going to stay 'flyers'.  
I hope no one cares too much about me spelling it that way.**

**Next Chapter will be coming tomorrow... Or maybe today??? I'll see...**

**EDIT: Terribly embarassing, somehow I managed to center the entire chapter! Very very embarassing...**

* * *

Chapter Five

"Ripred," said Luxa, nodding to the rat. "And this is... Twitch?"

"Twitchtongue," replied Ripred. "You are up bright and early, I see. The spinner is not going to be here for half an hour. Got called away to talk to the queen."

"Queen Wevox is here?" asked Luxa in surprise. "I was not informed of the fact."

"Yes, she is, and secretly if she has not announced it," replied Ripred. "Something to do with succession, I believe."

"Queen Wevox is not so old, why would she worry about that?"

"Who knows how spinners think?" The rat yawned. "What is to happen today?"

"I think the council should meet and decide what to do," replied Luxa. "I am going to help with training today while they talk. Will you come?"

The rat sighed. "If you wish. Are you going to teach the Overlander how to fight?"

"I have a name," snapped Chandra. She was sick of being talked about as if she weren't there; she'd had to live with it her entire life so far.

"Ah, yes. Refresh my memory, was it Shana?"

"Chandra," said Twitchtongue.

"That reminds me," continued Ripred, looking at the younger rat. "What shall I do with you? I've already posted someone else where you were, and there aren't any openings that I know of. I doubt you'd want to help with the nursery..."

Twitchtongue grimaced. "No, thank you."

"And Dulcet would say that you'd bother the children, wouldn't you?" Ripred addressed the woman.

"The young children might be frightened, yes," she replied. "Queen Luxa, I wish to take the children for a picnic."

"That is fine," replied Luxa. "I am sure Temp will be sorry to miss it. But take some guards with you, and Hazard. He's sad about the game yesterday." She looked pointedly at Chandra.

"Of course. I will find him now." Dulcet left.

Mareth came in a moment later. "I see that I am early. Good morning, Chandra. How is your wrist?"

"Morning," she greeted him. "Hi, Mareth. It's feeling better already. Where's Andromeda?"

"She's sleeping; it was a long day for her," replied Mareth.

"Good morning, Mareth," said Luxa. "Ripred, Aurora and I were just leaving for the practice grounds."

"As you will." Mareth sat down at the table.

"Wish I you, good morning, wish I you," said the crawler, Temp as he walked in.

"Good morning, Temp," said Luxa. "Excuse us, we were about to leave."

"Leave you, all, leave you?" asked the crawler. "Does stay, Mareth, does stay?"

"Will stay, I, will stay," Mareth nodded.

"You will follow," Luxa said to Chandra. "Fly will you?"

"Do I need to?"

"It would be faster," said Luxa.

"Fly, Overlander," purred Aurora. "Andromeda says you fly well."

"Okay," said Chandra with a shrug.

"Come." Luxa mounted Aurora, and the bat flew out the door.

"Fly you high, Chandra," said Mareth, then he and Temp began to talk together.

"Are you coming?" Chandra asked Twitchtongue.

The rat looked to Ripred.

"I see my day is going to be a long one," said the rat with a sigh. "Yes, Twitch."

"Yes! Race you," Twitchtongue said to Chandra.

She grinned. "You're on!"

"Are you coming?" called Luxa, and Chandra hurried out of the room.

Twitchtongue explained about the race.

"Very well," said Aurora. "I will stay ahead to direct the Overlander."

"Go," said Luxa, and the bat started down the hall.

Chandra opened her wings, and crouched, ready to start.

"Get on with it," said Ripred behind them.

Chandra and Twitchtongue shot down the hall after Aurora. For a while the girl was in the lead, then she fell back during a tight turn, not used to such close quarters. Twitchtongue scampered ahead. Aurora was doing her best to keep ahead of the two, but not so far that Chandra lost sight of her.

Finally they came to a large open field, which Chandra recognized as the arena the game had been played in the day before. Underlanders of all ages and sizes were there, either stretching to warm up or practicing with a variety of different weapons, on the ground or flying.

The people near her when she and Twitchtongue came to a gasping halt stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Self-consciously, Chandra folded her wings.

"Return to your duties," called Luxa as Aurora landed. "It is ill of you to stare so."

The fighters nodded and turned back to what they were doing, though several of the younger kids glanced at Chandra now and then, their eyes wide with surprise.

"I won," she told Twitchtongue, who laughed.

"Anyone could see I reached the arena first," he replied.

Chandra laughed as well, and let the matter rest. It didn't really matter, anyway. And the rat had won, despite her saying the contrary.

Luxa came over them. "Can you tumble?"

"You mean fall?" asked Chandra, confused.

"No." Luxa pointed at a group of children nearby who were doing somersaults and cartwheels.

"Sort of," said Chandra. "Not very well, though. I'm better in the air."

"Hmm. Aurora?"

The golden bat came over.

"Fly," said Luxa, mounting. "Let us see what you can do, Chandra of the Overland."

Aurora took off and rose, stopping about fifteen feet from the ground.

"Watch," called Luxa, then fell off. She curled into a somersault, then flipped, finally landing on her feet.

"Can you?" she asked Chandra.

"I can try." Chandra opened her wings, then flew toward the ceiling. Near the roof she tucked in her wings and free fell. She managed a full flip and one somersault, then caught herself and swooped up again only four feet from the moss-covered floor. She alighted on the ground, folding her wings. There were even more people staring at her now, though they looked away when they realized she was looking at them.

"Good," said Luxa. "How about this?" She executed a perfect cartwheel, though the move was almost ruined when she barely missed running into Ripred, who'd just arrived a minute ago.

"Watch it," growled the rat, who'd leapt out of the way just in time.

"Sorry," said Luxa stiffly.

"So what did I miss this time?" asked the rat, looking around. "Seems something caused quite a stir."

"Chandra was doing some aerial tumbling," said Twitchtongue. "She's good."

"That's great," said Ripred sarcastically. "Are you going to have her do some flips to distract the cutters?"

"No." Luxa flushed. "Mareth was to help me but the council is meeting."

"Perhaps teach her to fight in the air with a sword," suggested Twitchtongue. "She could fight easier than warriors on flyers, even, if she was good enough."

"Granted, I doubt she's anything like Gregor," said Ripred. "But it might be a good idea to try that."

"As you wish," said Luxa. "I'll get some swords." She strode off, headed for some barrels containing several types of weapons. She returned a minute later with two wooden practice swords, and handed one to Chandra, who accepted it gingerly.

"What do I do with it?" asked the teen, looking dubiously at the sword. "I can't use my left wrist, at least not until it finishes healing."

"Then you must fight with one hand. First I will show you some basic moves," said Luxa.

She proceeded to explain stance, grip and maneuvering, then taught Chandra how to block and lunge, as well as swing. It was hard with only one hand, but Chandra could feel that the wrist was almost healed, the sprain had only seemed bad, fortunately. Perhaps the next day she'd be able to use it again. As she thought that, though, her wrist twinged, sending a sharp pain through her arm. Maybe not.

A few hours later, Luxa leaned on her sword and wiped her brow with her sleeve. "I think you are ready for doing this in the air," she said. "Let us eat first." She led the way to where about half the fighters were sitting, eating bowls of stew and slices of bread.

"Do you want stew or a sandwich?" asked Luxa.

"Stew is fine," replied Chandra. "What's in it?"

"Beef and vegetables," replied the other. "It is good."

Chandra accepted a bowl from a server, then sat down, her legs crossed.

"How did you learn to fly?" asked Luxa. "Forgive me if the question is unseemly, but many Underlanders, including myself, would love to have the ability to fly so."

Luxa shrugged. "I've been flying for as long as I remember. When I was younger I had a harder time, but now it's relatively easy, if I don't have to fly too long."

"How did you get your wings?" asked Luxa, dipping some bread into her stew.

"It's kind of complicated," replied Chandra. "Basically some scientists decided to try mixing _Chiroptera_, or bat, DNA with _Homo sapiens_, or human, DNA. I'm the result of a lot of years of experimenting by the members of the Center of Genetic Experimentation."

Luxa frowned. "That is not right to do such a thing, is it? Nature should not be altered."

Chandra shrugged. "They don't seem to think so," she said. "As for me, I guess it _is_ fun to be able to fly, but sometimes I wish I was normal, with a normal family and everything."

Luxa nodded. "I, too, sometimes wish the same, that I were not royalty. Being a queen is hard sometimes."

"Harder on some then others," said Ripred. "Your cousin is glad you are queen."

Luxa smiled slightly. "Yes, Nerissa did not like ruling while I was not here."

Chandra turned her attention from the conversation to where a man was setting up cannons, loading when with white balls.

"What is he doing?" she asked, curious.

"Those are cannons," replied Luxa. "They are used to test one's speed at attacking. Those are blood balls he's loading now."

"Blood balls?" asked Chandra, feeling slightly sick.

"They are merely filled with a red liquid in suggestion of blood," said Luxa. "And are made of wax. I think I shall try them today."

"What do you do?" asked Chandra.

"You stand in place and they arrange all five cannons around you, three balls to a cannon, fifteen in all. Then they are set off at once and you hit as many as you can." Luxa paused. "Gregor is the only to ever hit the total."

"He did?" asked Chandra. "Wow."

"That's because he's a rager," said Ripred. "And untrained when they first had him try. When you are a rager and untrained, your rager senses flick on easily. Or not so easily, depending on the circumstances."

Chandra nodded. "Can I try?" she asked.

"Yes," said Luxa. "Do not hope to hit many, though. Most only get one or two their first few tries. And with one hand that you cannot use..."

Chandra nodded again, then finished her stew in two bites.

"Let us join them," said Luxa, leading the way over.

"Greetings, your highness," said the man with the cannons, bowing. "Do you wish to try your luck?"

"Yes."

"You may go first, then."

Luxa got in position, holding her sword ready.

At the signal the cannons were set off and the blood balls shot out.

When they had settled, Chandra could see eight unharmed. The others were oozing wax shells, split in two.

"Seven," said the man with a nod. "A good count."

Luxa nodded and stood by Chandra as the others took their turns. Some hit as few as two, some six, though only one matched Luxa's seven.

When they had finished, Luxa asked the man to load the cannons again.

"What for?" asked the man in surprise. "Everyone has done their turn."

"Chandra wishes to try," replied Luxa, nodding at the girl.

"All right." The man quickly loaded all the cannons, then arranged them in a circle, with Chandra standing in the center.

"Ready," said Chandra, and the cannons went off.

She whirled, trying to hit as many as she could. Liquid spurted over her clothing as she struck one ball, and she shuddered, but continued. High pitched clicking came from her throat, too high for anyone but the bats and two rats to hear. Echolocation enabled her to find the balls easier when her eyesight saw nothing but a blur. Finally she stopped, blood dripping down the practice blade.

Luxa nodded. "How many?"

The man counted. "Eight."

Chandra was surprised. "How did I get that many?" she asked him. "I didn't think I did that well."

"You went fast," he replied.

Luxa's eyes narrowed. "Good count," she said. "Are you ready to train in the air?" Without waiting for a reply, she turned and went to Aurora, mounting.

Chandra frowned. "What did I do?" she asked, suddenly feeling sick at the sight of the red liquid.

"Luxa is not used to being beaten at the cannons," replied Ripred. "She will sulk for a while, but just ignore it."

"Okay." Chandra looked up to where the golden bat was circling, annoyed. It seemed that being queen didn't automatically mean you were more understanding when people beat you. "I guess I use this sword?" she asked.

"Wipe it on the moss first," said the man. He had moved two of the cannons already, and had returned for another. "Or it might become slippery."

Chandra did so, then joined Aurora in the air.

"Let us see," said Luxa. "Get ready..."

Chandra changed her grip on the sword, ready when Aurora swooped close and Luxa attacked.


	6. Chapter 6

**Two chapters in one day. Going to use tomorrow to write, and post another chapter in two or three days.**

**Sadly the story gets a little slow for a while, but I'm attempting to speed it up.**

* * *

Chapter Six

Back and forth the two battled across the arena. Chandra was able to dive or swoop out of the way from the heaviest attacks, but only did so if she felt she was about to get knocked out of the air. Aurora was just as quick as she, though, and several times Chandra got taps on the leg or arm if she left Luxa an opening for a lunge or strike.

At last the queen called a halt and Aurora landed, folding her wings. Chandra was exhausted, but tried not to show it as she landed as well. Her wrist ached, despite the fact that she hadn't used it.

"We are finished for the day," said Luxa. "Ripred, let us see how the council has decided." The rat, human and bat hurried away.

Chandra sighed and followed, not sure what to do.

"What do you usually do?" she asked Twitchtongue as they walked along. "I mean, when you aren't here."

"Usually I am guarding, but Ripred is angry since I left my post when you came. The place where you fell is actually in a different section, but the gnawer patroling there had just passed and wouldn't return for about ten minutes, so I decided to make sure you were all right."

"Oh. Sorry that you lost your post."

"I was getting tired of guarding, anyway." The rat grinned, not a pleasant sight for those unused to it, as it revealed his sharp teeth. "In fact, I get tired of most jobs sooner or later. Usually sooner, is what Ripred says, but I don't mind. He raised me from a pup, because my parents died in the last war, the one that ended with the warrior dying. His flyer died, too."

"Gregor had a... flyer?" asked Chandra. So that was why he'd not wanted Lizzie talking about bats.

"Yes, Ares. Ripred says that he was a good flyer, somewhat of a rebel, but good, and that Gregor was devastated when Ares died."

"Huh." Chandra blinked in surprise. "How long was Gregor down here?"

"Oh, he wasn't here all the time. He came down the first time and helped with the Prophecy of Grey, then went back, then returned for the Prophecy of Bane. He went home, then had to come back, when the warmblood curse struck. Then his mother got the plague, so she had to stay for a while, and Gregor went back and forth, until finally the war started. He helped end it, then Ripred and Luxa started to argue because she wanted him to take all the gnawers into the Uncharted Lands. They were about to start fighting again when Gregor broke his sword, which had been Sandwich's before he got it. After that, Gregor went home." Twitchtongue stopped to catch his breath.

"I see," said Chandra. "What's a rager?"

"They are berserkers," replied Twitchtongue. "Really good at fighting and such. Their senses heighten in battle and they're almost unbeatable. Ripred is a rager, just like Gregor."

"Interesting," said Chandra. "Are ragers normal?"

"No, they are rare in the Underland," replied Twitchtongue. "And probably are rare in the Overland, too."

"How many species live down here?" asked Chandra.

"There are many coldblood, but only a few warmblood," replied Twitchtongue. "Gnawers, humans, flyers, nibblers and diggers. For coldbloods, there are many. The ones I know about are the hissers, crawlers, shiners, cutters, twisters, slimers, flutterflies and stingers."

"What are the flutterflies like? They were mentioned in the prophecy Luxa and the others were telling me about, with the 'flying moon'. Luxa said they were moths..."

"They are allies of the crawlers," replied Twitchtongue. "Other than that, not much is known about them."

Chandra nodded, thinking. "Then why are they mentioned? The other ones mentioned were all species that are here."

"I don't know. No one knows for sure why. Perhaps the flutterflies have some way of fighting the cutters we don't know about. They live right next to the cutters' territory, so it is surprising that the cutters have not tried to chase them out."

"How much farther is it to the palace?" asked Chandra. "I'm tired." She yawned. "Sorry. Thanks for explaining."

The rat shrugged. "I do not mind. At least you listen to me. Ripred is always telling me that I should be silent more often."

Chandra grinned. "Where's the fun in that?" she asked.

"Exactly. But he has fought in a lot of battles and he thinks he knows everything. And he has been in the Overland."

"Really? How did he get around? I'm sorry, but you don't see giant rats walking around in broad daylight at home." Chandra glanced upwards, toward where the sun would be. There was nothing but a deep blackness that went on for who knows how long.

"He only goes at night," replied Twitchtongue. "He reads books up there. Some time he might take me, if I do my job right," he added proudly. "I can't wait."

Chandra grinned. "He's a warrior, a rager, and he...reads?"

Twitchtongue nodded. "Strange, but he's different from a lot of rats. He knows a lot as well. That's why he wasn't surprised about your wings."

Chandra laughed. "I wondered why he didn't think it was strange," she admitted. "But I thought there was probably a good reason."

"Yes, there is a good reason," said a voice behind them. "And I am sure you have a good reason yourselves about why you are not at the palace yet."

Both turned around.

Ripred was lounging against the wall of one of the houses. "Talk, talk, talk, Twitchtongue. You were well named. They have been waiting for the last ten minutes. Luxa thought that you had gotten lost, and sent me to find you."

"Sorry," said Twitchtongue, hanging his head.

"Apologize all you want," said Ripred. "But Luxa will have both your heads if you don't get there soon. The spinner queen has taken Reflex, so we are down one council member, and the others are tired from arguing without getting anything done all day."

"We are going!" said Twitchtongue, and hurried ahead.

Chandra ran after him, leg muscles protesting.

They reached the palace a few minutes later, and raced to the meeting room.

Luxa looked up as they entered. "Where have you been?" she asked, frowning. "Aurora and I returned a quarter hour ago."

"You were flying, not walking," pointed out Ripred as he walked in. "And apparently some walk slower when they talk. Can't do two things at once, I believe."

"Whose side is he on?" Chandra asked Twitchtongue in a whisper. "First he chews us out, then he's making excuses, then he's insulting us."

"Sometimes I am not sure," replied the rat. "It depends on his mood, I guess."

"Ahem," said Luxa. "Mareth, tell us what you agreed on before Reflex left."

"A delegate from each species will gather here in three days," replied Mareth. "That will give us enough time to prepare, for I just recieved news that the cutters are approaching the edge of the gnawer's land. They are coming, I believe. Slowly, but they are coming."

"I was not informed. When did you learn this?" asked Ripred. Without waiting for an answer he hurried out of the room.

"What are you going to do when everyone gets here?" asked Chandra.

"That will be decided when they come," replied Luxa. "Temp, can you get word to the flutterflies that one must come here in three days' time? Make sure they understand that it is urgent and their time depends on it."

"Tell I, the flutterflies, tell I," said the crawler, then he scurried from the room.

"Now," said Luxa. "What else is there to take care of?"

"I believe nothing," said Heronian. "I think we can all eat and get some sleep."

At the mention of sleep, Chandra yawned again, hastily covering her mouth with a hand. "Sorry."

"Come, you may dine with me," said Luxa. She excused herself from the council, then led the way to a small room nearby. The table was already spread with food, and a thin girl was seated there. She was even paler than Luxa, which Chandra would not have thought possible before seeing her.

"Nerissa," said Luxa. "How fare you?"

"Fare I well," replied the girl. "She is the flying moon." It was a statement, rather than a question.

Chandra blinked in surprise.

Twitchtongue, who had followed Ripred after Luxa, whispered, "Nerissa has visions sometimes. A lot of people think she's crazy, but she really isn't."

"Greetings, Twitchtongue," said Nerissa, nodding to the rat. "How fare you?"

"I am well," replied the rat. "Though I no longer have a post."

"Help Dulcet tomorrow with the children," she said in a distracted tone. "Chandra should as well. Perhaps she can entertain them with a tale."

"Huh?" asked Chandra. "What do you mean?"

"A tale, a story. There are many in the Overland about strange creatures, and the children love tales." Nerissa pushed some food around her plate with a fork.

"Okay," said Chandra with a shrug. "If you say so."

"Eat," said Luxa, sitting down.

"Thank you," said Ripred, pulling a bowl full of a creamy sauce with pink things floating in it toward himself. "Shrimp and cream sauce. I see you knew I would be eating here."

Chandra ate little, not feeling very hungry. At last she excused herself and went to find her bedroom. She took a bath, though the blood ball liquid had dyed her skin red and the stain wouldn't come out.

After bathing and dressing, Chandra fell asleep in the bed, for the first time since she'd come to the Underland wondering what was going on above her head. Had Dr. Delinz discovered that she was no longer in the tunnel? How long would they search before giving up?

_A long time_, said the part of her that was sometimes so annoying. _And they'll find the hole and think you are dead_.

_Which is good,_ replied Chandra.

_But what will you do when you return? There will be nowhere for you to stay._

_I'll think of something_... Chandra drifted into a soft slumber.

Dulcet brought her breakfast again.

"Thanks," said Chandra. "You don't have to, though, honestly."

"I do not mind," replied Dulcet.

"Can I help you at least?" offered Chandra. "Nerissa said I could tell the children stories."

"That would be kind of you," said Dulcet. "I have too many in the nursery, for there are nibbler pups as well as babies and toddlers. Nibblers often come here with their pups and I watch them while their parents do what they came for, usually to ask Luxa for help. A story is just what they need."

Chandra grinned. "All right, then. Let's go."

The nursery wasn't far from her bedroom, and there were lots of children, from ages four and under, and at least a dozen pups.

"Children, Chandra is here to tell you a story!" called Dulcet, her voice sweet. "Gather in the telling circle."

About half of the children and all the pups hurried to one side of the room and arranged themselves in a somewhat lopsided circle, with an opening at one end for Chandra to sit.

"What kind?" asked one of the older children.

"It's a story about a princess, a dragon and a kingdom," replied Chandra as she racked her brain for a short but good story. "Now, do you know what a dragon is?"

"No," came the chorused reply.

"Well, they are scary beasts, big, with red scales and horns, and large wings like a flyer's," Chandra explained.

"Tell the story!" they cried excitedly.

"All right." Chandra took a breath, then told them the story, making it up as she went along.

_Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. She was kind and good and the kingdom loved her very much._

_Then one day a dragon came and stole the princess when she was out in her garden._

_The king was devastated, as was the queen and all their subjects._

_A reward was offered for whoever could return the princess to the kingdom, for the dragon lived five kingdoms away, in a terribly hard to reach place._

_Knights, princes, lords and others tried in vain, though none were killed all were defeated by the beast, if they didn't first become discouraged riding over the blazing deserts, through the smell marshes, over the freezing mountains and through the enchanted forests that seperated the princess's kingdom from the dragon's cave._

_Finally the princess begged the dragon to take her home, because she was very homesick and missed her home._

_After much argument, the dragon agreed and took the princess back. The king, queen and all their subjects rejoiced, for their princess was alive!_

_But a few months later the princess announced that she was going back to the dragon's cave, because she'd had lots of adventures there with witches and werewolves and all sorts of other mystical creatures that now her life in the castle seemed dull and boring. All the kingdom wept, but the princess refused to stay, so they let her go._

_She always came back to visit once a year, and they were content with that, and the fact that their princess was happy._

_Until the day the evil sorceror stole her from the dragon cave. But that's another story._

_The End_

The children sat silent through the entire tale, their eyes wide.

When Chandra finished, they clapped- the pups squeaked- then begged for another.

"Chandra has told you one, you would not to want to hear all the stories today, would you?" Dulcet smiled. "Thank you, Chandra. Children, nap time!"

A groan arose, but five minutes later they were all sleeping, curled up in one large pile like puppies.

"I have never see them go to sleep so fast," said Dulcet. "Thank you, Chandra. Your tale was long enough to make them tired, but not so tired that they did not enjoy it."

"You're welcome," said Chandra. "I don't mind, it was fun."

"Would you tell them another tomorrow?" asked Dulcet. "I am sure they all want to know what happened to the sorceror."

"Sure," replied Chandra. "I can do that. And maybe again after that one?"

Dulcet nodded. "Thank you. The children loved it!"

Chandra grinned. "I could tell. Do you need help with anything else?"

The woman nodded. "If you do not mind, this place needs to be washed. I have not had time."

"I can help," said Chandra. "What do you want me to do first?"

"First I will get some buckets and soap," replied Dulcet. "Watch the children, please, until I return."

Chandra nodded and sat down to wait.

* * *

**The stories Chandra tells to the children are not really part of the storyline.  
If they are slowing the story too much, I will remove all subsequent stories.  
Opinions on the removal/nonremoval of them would be greatly appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter, earlier than I planned. Progress is going to slow come December, so enjoy this speed while you can.**

**I've gotten several 'hints' that I need to put more detail into my story. So, detail there is, from here on.  
I'm not going back and rewriting the first six chapters right now, though I might some later time.**

**Also, I've been told that Chandra is too perfect. I'm working on that as well,  
trying to come up with character flaws, something I happen to have trouble with.  
Please bear with me, people, as this is my first fanfic ever.**

* * *

Chapter Seven

The washing was done when the children woke from their nap. Grey stone gleamed from being polished, and the small carvings that covered the walls and floors of the nursery stood out clearly instead of being obscured by dirt.

Dulcet gave the children lunch-she and Chandra had eaten earlier. After lunch the children begged for another story from Chandra.

"I'll tell you one tomorrow," she promised, worried that she had spent too much time helping Dulcet. "Okay?"

"Yes," they chorused, then dispersed to play. If there was another story to come, that was wonderful, but if it was not immediately, they would think no more about it. Children began playing a version of patty cake and some of the pups were running around and squeaking excitedly in a game something like tag.

Twitchtongue came in, his brown fur looking as clean as the stone walls. "The council wants to talk to Chandra," he told Dulcet. "Do you need her?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head, her pale hair swaying from the movement. "Thank you, Chandra."

"You're welcome." Chandra waved to the children, who ignored her, then followed the rat out. The girl tried to smooth out the wrinkles her clothing had gotten from kneeling on the floor scrubbing, but the water had dried and left the cloth almost stiff.

"What is it?" she asked. "Why do they want to see me?"

"I'm not sure," replied Twitchtongue, stepping aside as a man dressed in servant's livery hurried by with a large armful of cloth. "But Luxa sent for you, so Ripred sent me to find you. He said something about the council, so I think it has something to do with them, but I could be wrong."

Chandra frowned. "Maybe she wants me to practice?"

"I don't know. Ripred said you had to hurry, that's all I know." The rat's nose twitched as a thumping clacking noise approached. "Here comes Mareth."

It was Mareth walking toward them, slowly as he was using crutches. More hopping than walking, actually, but the man had a way of giving such ungainly movement a dignified air that the word hopping didn't even occur to Chandra.

"Overlander, Luxa wishes you to meet her at the practice grounds," said Mareth, stopping. He was breathing in deep, measured breaths. "I will be there later. Do not wear yourself out before then."

"Okay," said Chandra with a laugh. "I won't."

"Race you?' asked Twitchtongue as Mareth walked away. The rat was poised, ready to run. "On foot, of course."

"This time, you _lose_," replied Chandra. "Even without me flying. Ready, set..."

"Go!" called Mareth, laughing as the two raced off down the corridor, their shadows jumping and flickering in the torch light.

Chandra did indeed reach the arena ahead of Twitchtongue. "Hah!" she cried, dancing on the moss ground. "And I wasn't even flying!" Breathing heavily, she collapsed on the ground and started laughing. Her friend was chuckling as well.

"I hope you did not wear yourself out running, Overlander," said Luxa as Aurora landed nearby, the bat folding her wings as her rider jumped down and went to choose a sword. "It is time to practice some more. Get a sword."

Chandra shifted through the wooden practice swords until she found one that she liked the feel of, then opened her brown wings and flew up, waiting at a hover for Aurora to join her. Her leg muscles ached from running, and she was glad her wings didn't require the use of those muscles. While hovering, she adjusted her grip. Holding the sword with one hand was still awkward, but her left wrist was not completely healed yet, and she definitely didn't want to injure it again.

"Ready?" asked Luxa as Aurora flew up, her golden wings gleaming in the brilliant light that lit the arena. "Begin."

For an hour or so they fought back and forth. Chandra stayed on the defensive, practicing her blocks. Her earlier progress had slowed considerably. It was, she admitted to herself during a short lull in the practice, only beginner's luck that she had managed to do so well before. Whatever instinct that had helped her fight better the day before had vanished completely.

Finally Aurora called a halt, claiming that her wings were tiring of the constant changes of direction. What the bat was actually worried about wasn't her wings, but the fact that neither girl would stop fighting first.

"Yes, let us rest for a while," said Luxa, dismounting the moment Aurora landed. The queen sat on the moss and drank some water from a waterskin she'd brought, then offered it to Chandra, who shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said, also sitting, her wings folded beneath her shirt. The girl brushed her ash white hair out of her face, where it had been hanging down in limp tendrils. "Thank you, anyway."

"Greetings, Queen Luxa," called Mareth from above. A moment later Andromeda landed near them. "How goes the practice?"

"Well enough," replied Luxa, standing. The waterskin was left sitting in the grass. "She is fast with the sword, but slow at blocking blows."

"Let me see," he said, and sat back, arms crossed, as the two flew up again, Luxa on Aurora, Chandra with her wings outspread.

They traded blows for a while, then Mareth called them back down.

"Good, but not as good as you could be," he said. "Luxa, you favor striking from the right, which any opponent would notice and use in their favour.

"Overlander, you must concentrate more on blocking than on retaliating. At least twice you got struck when you could have blocked. Try again."

For almost three hours he kept them at it, until Chandra was almost falling out of the air, she was so weary.

"Enough," Mareth said at last. "Continue this tomorrow." With that, Andromeda flew away, carrying the man on her back, and both Luxa and Chandra breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good fighting," Luxa told Chandra, retrieving the waterskin from where it had been abandoned.

"At least for a beginner," said Chandra, sighing. "I'm not so great at it." She stuck the sword into the barrel it had come from, then flexed her right hand, which had cramped from holding the sword for so long.

"You learn from your mistakes," said Luxa, fiddling with the strap attached to the waterskin and not looking at Chandra as she spoke. "Not all do."

"Well, that's good if you are worried about making mistakes," said Chandra, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had suddenly fallen. "Actually, I'm glad I can manage a sword at all, since they don't care about that skill anymore, back where I come from. There people use guns and bombs and such."

Luxa sighed and slung the waterskin over her shoulder, then adjusted her rumpled clothing. "Yes, Gregor mentioned such weapons once. It is dishonorable, killing your enemies from afar."

"That didn't stop Sandwich," pointed out Twitchtongue, who had joined them. The rat sounded angry. "He poisoned the diggers."

"That was a long time ago," replied Luxa, her skin reddening. "Regalians have learned better ways since then."

"Better ways to kill, you mean," said the rat, his tail swishing back and forth in short, sharp movements.

Luxa scowled at him, then gave Chandra a small nod. "Tomorrow, Overlander."

"Okay," said Chandra. "But I have to tell the children at the nursery a story first. I promised," she added, when the queen looked ready to object.

"As you wish," said Luxa, then she mounted Aurora and they flew away. Chandra could hear them talking quietly, but forced herself not to listen. Sometimes heightened hearing was not a good thing.

"Why is she so... abrupt?" Chandra asked Twitchtongue as they walked in the same direction the golden bat had flown. Abrupt wasn't exactly the word she wanted to use, but it was the only one her brain came up with at the moment.

"I don't know. She doesn't usually act like that. Perhaps she's angry because you beat her at the blood ball cannons yesterday." The rat had calmed down, but he still sounded annoyed, if not mad. "You used echolocation, didn't you?"

"But why would she be angry about that?" asked Chandra. "She wouldn't have heard it, I used too high a pitch."

The rat just shook his head.

"Has any of the..." Chandra searched for the word. "Delegates arrived?"

"Not yet," replied Twitchtongue. "But they should soon, I think. The crawler and the spinner should already be on their way, and the gnawer and nibbler. I'm not sure how long it will take the digger to come, or any of the others, though."

"Not too long, I hope," said Chandra. "Three days was the deadline."

Twitchtongue nodded. "Not much time left, then," he said.

"Two days." Chandra's eye was caught by a carving, one of many on the walls of the stone corridors. It was a life size replication of Gregor's face. She gave it a disbelieving glance, then shook her head and looked away.

"The flutterflies live almost a day's journey away," replied Twitchtongue. "If they don't have word yet it'll be longer than three days by the time their delegate gets here."

Chandra yawned. "I'm too tired to think. Do you know where we could get some dinner?" Her stomach was clenching painfully from hunger. Lunch had been ages ago, and not a very big meal. Flying burned a lot of calories, something the scientists had discovered with great interest.

"The kitchens, I suppose," said the rat. "But I don't know where they are."

"We'll just have to find them then," said Chandra, shrugging. "That shouldn't be too hard."

"This palace is very big," said Twitchtongue doubtfully. "I'd rather not get lost in it."

"So we ask directions." Chandra rolled her eyes, the grey turning to silver in the orange torch light. "There must be someone around here who can tell us how to get there."

"I don't know, not many people bother finding out that sort of thing. Mainly just the servants."

"So find a servant!" Chandra resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and followed her friend. She winced as her sore muscles protested, and promised herself a long soak in the hot bath after she ate.

It took them almost half an hour before they found a man carrying a covered tray. He was wearing a grey uniform, and paused as Chandra approached. Twitchtongue, who had fallen behind while looking over an interesting carving, was given a look of surprise, and Chandra received one as well.

"Hello," Chandra greeted him, smiling. "Can you direct me to the kitchens, please?"

"I am going there now," the man replied, relaxing slightly, though he still seemed wary of the rat, despite the distance seperating them. "I can get something for you, if you wish."

"No, that's all right, I can go with you." Chandra looked for Twitchtongue, then realized he had down the hall a bit. "Twitchtongue! I found someone who can take us to the kitchen!"  
"Great!" The rat came bounding up, carving forgotten in favor of food. "I'm hungry."

"Follow," said the man, and led them through several halls, all similar, from the torches lining the walls to the grey stone that made up the walls. He finally turned into a large room with no door. It was hot inside, due to the large number of ovens arranged around the room.

"Mark!" called a slightly plump man. "I see you've brought some visitors, hungry ones, I hope. Who are you?" he added, turning to the two and adjusting his large white apron, which was more off white than pure white, due to the various colourful splotches that stained the material.

"I'm Twitchtongue," replied the rat, sniffing the air. "Is something burning?"

"My bread!" The man turned and ran to an oven, opened it, and pulled out several loaves of golden brown bread. He set them on pieces of cloth on a large stone table, then came back, dusting off his hands on the apron.

"How may I help you?" he asked, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "You are here for food? What do you wish to eat?"

"Do you have any pie?" asked Twitchtongue. "I think I smell some."

"Yes, yes, follow." The man led the two to a small table with a few chairs arranged around it. There was a boy sitting there, eating a bowl of soup. He looked to be about the same age as Lizzie.

"Hazard, these two are hungry and will be sitting here," said the man, patting the boy's shoulder. "I will return in a moment with food," he informed the other two.

"Hi," said Chandra to the boy as the man left. "I'm Chandra."

"Hazard. You are from the Overland?" asked the boy in interest.

Chandra nodded, taking in his odd appearence. Lime green eyes, pale skin like the other Underlanders, but with curly black hair.

"Hazard is a Halflander and is a cousin of Luxa's," said Twitchtongue. "Her mother and his father were twins. How fare you, Hazard?"

"All right." The boy finished his soup, lifting the bowl and tilting it to get every last drop. "Who are you?"

"Twitchtongue," replied the rat. He looked around. "Where's that pie? I'm starving."

Chandra's stomach growled, and she gave a nervous laugh, then sat in one of the chairs.

The man returned just then and set two plates of steaming vegetable pie in front of them.

"I hope it fares well with you," he said, then vanished again.

Chandra spread the pie about her plate with a fork, then waited for it to cool. "What does Halflander mean?"

"Father was an Underlander," explained Hazard. "And Mother was an Overlander."

"Which is why he is called a Halflander," added Twitchtongue around a mouthful of pie. "But he is pure Underlander at heart, right?"

Hazard nodded. "Excuse me, it is late." He left, taking the empty bowl with him.

Chandra poked her pie, decided it was cool enough, and started to eat. "Since you aren't guarding anymore, Twitchtongue, what are you going to do?"

"Whatever task Ripred gives me," replied the rat, finishing his pie slice in record time. "Could be anything."

"In fact, it is simple," said Ripred, who had suddenly appeared from nowhere. Chandra hadn't even heard him approach. "I am giving you another chance as guard. I hope you're grateful."

Twitchtongue sighed. "Where this time?"

"Wherever your assignment is," replied the other rat. "Queen Luxa thinks that the Overlander should have a guard at all times, except, of course, when she is sleeping. So that is your duty." He grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Until you fail, of course."

"Fail? I will not fail!" protested Twitchtongue.

"Good. I will hold you to that." Ripred nodded, then left as swiftly as he had come.

Twitchtongue shook his head in relief. "I thought I was doomed when he appeared."

"Looks like you don't have to worry anymore about having lost your guard post," said Chandra, grinning. She ate the last of her pie, which had been as delicious as it smelled, then yawned. "I think I'm going to turn in early today. I'm exhausted."

"You will be even more exhausted tomorrow, after the queen has worked with you. If you think you ache now, wait until tomorrow night."

Chandra grimaced at the thought. "Thanks a lot. I don't really want to think about that. Night."

"Night. See you... Oh, wait." The rat followed Chandra as she started for the door. "I am your guard, remember?"

Chandra laughed as she walked out of the kitchen. "How could I forget? Do make sure I don't get lost on the way to my room."


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been a while since I've posted a chapter, I know. Several days, at least.  
All I can say, is I have plenty of excuses for that. But there's only one important one.**

**I have a beta reader!!!**

**Though not through the site, she's now my official beta. Her name is Mep, aka aboreddemigod.**

**Chapters will be coming less frequently, due to school and beta-ing, but they will hopefully be more interesting.  
(a side note, I've been informed that they are getting too predictable. That's going to change, and soon)**

**Thanks to Mep, this chapter is detailed to death and sparkling, far better than I could have managed on my own. Enjoy!**

**Many, many, _many_ thanks, Mep, for all your help!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter Eight

Half an hour later, Chandra and Twitchtongue slumped against the stone floor, tired of walking through endless corridors that seemed to double back or lead to dead ends.

"We must have taken a wrong turn," mused Chandra as she rubbed at a cramped leg muscle. "I wonder where." At this she looked around and gave a dejected sigh. Everything looked the same, rows of torches and grey walls carved with intricate designs.

"I do not know," said Twitchtongue, sniffing the air. "There are too many halls in this place, and no variation in the scents, just torch oil, stone and dust. We're lost. Ripred is either going to have a fit or die laughing."

"I don't think the architects were considering guests when they built it," agreed Chandra, groaning. "I think they planned itthiswayto confuse enemies on, let's keep going. Perhaps we'll be lucky and find a familiar hallway."

"Or maybe we'll end up at another dead end," muttered the rat, his ears flat.

Chandra pretended not to hear him, and stood, fatigue drenching her sore muscles. "Come on," she said again, limping slightly as she walked. "We can't just sit here and give up.""On the contrary," grumbled the rat. "I'd be perfectly happy with doing that."

But, as luck would have it, shortly after they turned the next corner Mareth and Andromeda came into sight. "Where are you headed?" asked Mareth immediately, frowning. He looked fairly exhausted himself. "Why are you down in the servants' quarters?"

"Oh, we've been lost for ages," replied Chandra ruefully. "I don't suppose you could point us in the right direction?"

"Of course," replied Mareth, pointing toward the right hallway, his face carefully blank. "Go that way for a few hundred yards, and then take the right hand turn. You should find some stairs that will lead up to a corridor not far from the meeting room."

"Thanks!" Chandra beamed, grinning from ear to ear. "Good night, Mareth. Come on, Twitchtongue. We're almost there."

"Good night," replied Mareth, raising a hand in farewell. "It's time for our rest as well, Andromeda..." The bat nodded and flew away. Muffled laughter echoed down the corridor a few moments later.

Twitchtongue groaned. "We have even further to go before reaching the meeting room..."

"But it's not a far walk from there to my bedroom, so I can get from there to my room easily," reasoned Chandra, rubbing her leg again. The cramp was getting worse. "I can do that by myself, so that means less walking for you. And at least we aren't wandering in circles any more."

"All right," replied Twitchtongue. "You are right about that. Let's find those stairs," he added enthusiastically.

Fortunately they found the stairs with little difficulty, then parted at the meeting room door after Twitchtongue informed her that he would be waiting for her there, right after breakfast.

"Okay," Chandra yawned. "I have to go to the nursery first though, before ourtraining. I promised to tell the children a story."

"A story?" Twitchtongue chuckled. "Again? All right. See you tomorrow then." The rat scurried off, moving quickly despite being tired.

"Night." Chandra limped to her room and immediatelywent into the washroom for a well needed soak, savoring the relaxing feeling of hot water rolling over her stressed muscles in an intoxicating rhythm that made it nearly impossible to redress and get to her bedroom. With her last ounce of energy she blew out the lamp by her bedside before she went to sleep.

Dulcet was there again in the morning, and did not mind when Chandra explained that she had to meet Twitchtongue, who would be her new guard.

"A wise decision of the queen," said the woman, smiling gracefully. "I will await you at the nursery."

"Okay. See you." After this Chandra finished her breakfast, and swiftly left, dressed in the clean smoky blue clothes Dulcet had brought for her that morning. Fortunately the woman had remembered the slits in the shirt's back, and for that, the girl was grateful. Her clothing from the day before was dirty and stiff, but several years ago the girl had found that she couldn't wear whole shirts - that is, ones without slits in the back. The girl got claustrophobic in them. An old memory from when she was nine of a genetic science conference briefly flashed through her mind, causing Chandra to shudder. After three hours in a tight dress, her wings pinned to her back, unable to move, she had become overstressed and freaked out. The scientist in charge of her had sedated the girl before she could do any damage. Even so, the experience had been terrifying, and Chandra avoided anything resembling a dress from then on.

As Chandra continued down the halls, several of the guards she met gave her aberrant stares, which instantaneously vanished when she looked directly at them, making the stares only noticeable when she caught them in the corner of her eyes. The girl hunched her shoulders and hastened down the corridor, trying to ignore the peculiarlooks.

When she first arrived Twitchtongue wasn't at the meeting room door, forcing Chandra to wait, dancing impatiently from foot to foot, for him to appear. It didn't take him long; a moment later the rat came racing up, panting for breath.

"Sorry," he said once he'd caught his breath. "I slept for longer than I had planned."

"That's okay," Chandra replied calmly, her impatience carefully hidden. "Come on, let's go."

"How do you feel?" asked Twitchtongue a few moments later as they headed toward the nursery.

"Sore," admitted Chandra. "But not as bad as I felt last night..." she trailed off.

"Good," remarked the rat. "Do I need to go into the nursery?" His nose was twitching. "I don't like children much," he confessed. "Most smell bad."

"That's fine," Chandra shrugged, struggling to hold back a smile. "You can wait outside if you want to."

A twitch of his nose and a small nod was her only reply as the rat tried to block out the toddlers' scents.

The children were impatient as ever when Chandra reached the nursery, begging for the story no sooner than she'd walked through the door.

"Okay, okay!" Chandra sat down. "To the telling circle, everyone." She pointed to the area were the little ones had gathered at the day before.

The children hurried to find a place on the floor, gathering around Chandra, toddlers bouncing excitedly in place, pups curling up into round balls with only their bright eyes peering out at the girl. They all watched her, eyes wide and gleaming with anticipation, waiting for the story they knew was to come.

"You ready for the story?" she asked, grinning.

"Yes!" chorused the human children as the pups squeaked their agreement. "Tell!"

"Okay." Chandra chuckled and took a breath, then began the story she had hastily thought up while eating breakfast. It was slightly longer than the last one, but she hoped it hadn't gotten too long to hold their attention.

_Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. She was captured by a dragon, and the kingdom at last got her back. But the princess loved the adventuresome life she led at the dragon's cave, so she returned there to live. The kingdom had to be satisfied with that._

_Then, one dark night of late winter, an evil sorcerer stole the princess and hid her away in a tall tower made of stone..._

Chandra was cut off by an interruption.

"How big was the tower?" asked one of the older children, her silver hair in short pigtails and a thumb in her mouth.

"So big it took three hours to walk the long spiral staircase that leads from the bottom to the top," replied Chandra, thinking fast.

"Hush." Dulcet spoke in a gentle voice to soften the rebuke. "Let her tell the story now, Marafan."

Chandra smiled, shrugged, and continued.

_The tower itself was deep in a desert, almost impossible to reach, and the princess became distraught, and was often tempted to throw herself from one of the high windows in the tower- there were no doors or windows on the lower levels for fear she'd escape._

_But her will to live was still stronger, and when the sorcerer came, as he did each day, and offered to let her free if she married him, she refused. Once she even emptied her chamber pot onto his head as he stood at the base of the tower, weaving the spell that would allow him to enter the tower._

The children laughed at that, and Chandra grinned, enjoying their delight. At least they knew what a chamber pot was. She would have had difficulty explaining. She kept going.

_He was terribly angry when that happened, and stormed away, shouting that he would get even._

_The princess's parents, and her former kingdom, had by then learned that she was imprisoned, and again an award was offered for her safe return. Many princes tried and failed to reach her, and lords and shepherds and farm lads, all who dared try to cross the impassable desert, the sand of which burned the skin and held no water. Most died of the heat, the thirst, or by the claws of the demons sent by the sorcerer to defeat the reward seekers._

_Finally the dragon, who'd been pacing in his cave for some time, decided to try himself. He was lonely without anyone to talk to, despite that fact that most dragons are solitary creatures._

_It was a long flight to the desert from his cave, and an even longer one to the tower, wrought with peril._

_At last, plagued by thirst and the heat, the dragon reached the tower and called to the princess, who was delighted that he had come. She climbed onto the sill of one of the large windows, and from there leapt down onto his back, then begged the dragon to fly swiftly away, for soon the sorcerer would return._

Chandra halted as Twitchtongue poked his sleek head into the room. The rat jerked his head anxiously toward the hall. She nodded in silent reply and looked around somewhat solemnly. "I have to go now..." She held up her hand against the wave of protests. "But I'll come back tomorrow to finish the story, okay?"

The children sighed in unison, though thankfully they allowed her to leave without little two-year-old shackles attached to her feet. Dulcet sent them to their nap, then turned her attention to Chandra at the door.

"Thank you, Overlander," she said, smiling. "It is very kind of you to humor them." She chuckled as she gestured to the snoring children with slightly raised eyebrows and a sympathetic look on her face. "You have tired them out, that they could not even say 'thank you'."

"No problem," replied Chandra, shrugging. "I only did it because I wanted to."

"Thank you for taking the time," said Dulcet. "Most your age are too busy with other things to spend time with children. I will see you tomorrow, Overlander."

"Please call me Chandra," said the teen, blushing at the praise.

"Very well, Chandra." Dulcet treated her to another smile, then vanished back into the nursery.

"Can we go to the training arena now?" asked Twitchtongue, yawning. He shook himself, ruffling his red brown fur. "I am sure the queen is waiting for us."

"And very impatient she is," added another voice. Yes, it was Ripred again, casuallyleaning against a wall as usual. "Next time, shorter story," he told Chandra. "The queen has been waiting for the past half hour, and you can almost see the steam coming from her ears."

"Well, we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer, then," said Chandra, then turned her attention to Twitchtongue. "Come on, I'll race you, Twitchtongue."

"All right, but this time, you are not going to win!" the rat replied in a cocky manner as he dashed off, getting a head start.

In actuality, the poor rat was wrong, for Chandra glided into the arena nearly two yards ahead of him.

"You cheated," panted the rat. He all but collapsed on the moss. "Flying should not count."

"No one said anything about flying," replied Chandra, breathing hard as she landed and folded her wings. "You should've said that before we raced." She stuck her nose in the air, then started to laugh.

"Next time, it does not count," said Twitchtongue, chuckling as he stood. He looked around, confused. "Where is the queen?"

"I am here." Luxa's regal voice flooded the air as she landed gracefully in front of the two had tumbled from Aurora's back; the bat still circled overhead. "Where have you been?" asked the girl, frowning, her purple eyes glaring at Chandra.

"I was at the nursery," replied Chandra, bristling. "Telling the children a story. Sorry if it took too long."

"It does not matter, though you will be sorry you lost so much training time when it comes to truly fighting," replied Luxa, her gaze becoming impassive. "Get a sword. We will be working in the air."

Chandra sighed, but headed over to the barrel holding the swords. "I don't get why I have to do all this training," she muttered to Twitchtongue, who had followed her. "I'm not sure I want to fight."

"I do not know. The warrior was trained, but that decision was made by the queen's grandmother, whose light was extinguished during the last battle."

"Light?" asked Chandra, confusion evident on her face.

"Light is another word for life down here, at least among the humans," explained the rat. "It is because without light, they have no way of living, thus, they are doomed."

"So she... died?"

"Yes."

Chandra bit her lip as she selected a sword. "I still don't think I need all this training. I wouldn't be able to fight well in a real battle."

"Which is why you are being trained," said Twitchtongue. "That way you can fight if you have need."

"Well, I really hope I won't have 'need' to fight," said Chandra as she opened her wings. "See you later, Twitchtongue."

"Good luck," replied the rat as Chandra rose into the air.


	9. Chapter 9

**It's been a while, sorry about that.  
My excuse?****  
We lost power in the ice storm.  
Lame, I know.  
Anyway, enjoy. Action coming up, this chapter or next.**

**Finally, thanks as always to my wonderful beta reader! You rock, Mep!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Several hours later, Luxa called a lunch break. Chandra's aching muscles yelled in protest as she folded her wings and sat down with Luxa to a light soup.

She frowned, eying the soup sadly. Porridge for breakfast and soup for lunch and dinner, wasn't there ever any variety in this place? "Would it be possible to get something else to eat?" she asked Luxa. Had she been a true bat, her ears would have pricked up in hope. "You mentioned sandwiches?"

"Hmmm? Oh, of course. Ask one of the servers to supply you with what you want," replied Luxa in a distracted tone of voice, her eyes staying focused on her soup.

Chandra nodded and went over to where the serving people were standing next to a small table covered platters of bread and meat and large cauldron of soup that hung from a tripod.

"Um, excuse me?" she asked one of the women. "Could I have a sandwich, please?"

"A sandwich?" the confused woman asked, frowning as she attempted to recall what that was, and coming up empty handed. "What would this 'sandwich' be?"

"Um, two slices of bread with meat or something between them," replied Chandra while thinking,_ Have these people never heard of sandwiches before?_ The thought was almost horrifying. _Is that even _possible_?_

"You want some meat and bread?" asked the woman slowly, as if to check that they were in agreement. "Sliced?"

"Yes, please," said Chandra, holding back a sigh while trying to keep impatience out of her voice.

The woman nodded, and quickly sliced some bread off a loaf and some meat from a large hunk sitting on a platter. These were placed in a stone bowl, which she then handed to Chandra.

"Thanks," Chandra said quickly before going back to her seat by Luxa.

"The woman I spoke to didn't know what a sandwich is," she told Luxa, puzzled. She sat down next to the queen and began assembling a sandwich.

"Gregor taught me how to make them," replied Luxa. "I had forgotten that most Regalians would not know what they are."

"So you don't have sandwiches down here," stated Chandra in surprise.

"No." Luxa turned back to her soup, clearly showing that the conversation was over, and making it obvious there would be no more answers forthcoming at the moment.

_I hope I haven't made her mad,_ thought Chandra, trying not to sigh as she started eating her sandwich. She was two bites into her meal when it occurred to her that Twitchtongue wasn't around. The girl furtively scanned the arena, finally spotting the rat in a dark corner, curled up and sleeping the day away. She laughed, shaking her head in amusement. At least someone got to rest.

For sometime after lunch Luxa trained Chandra vigorously, then sent her to wash and rest. Twitchtongue came scampering over as the girl headed for the exit, and the two friends left the arena together, glad to get away from the din of training.

Chandra staggered down the halls, one hand against the wall as she walked. Despite being tired to her bones, the girl did her best to concentrate on their conversation.

"Is it usually this hard when someone's training?" she asked Twitchtongue. "Or is it just me?" she added with a cynical chuckle.

"Most learn to fight from an early age," replied the rat logically. "Those who do not face the same problems as you."

"Like aching all over," Chandra yawned, "and getting so tired I could fall asleep right here in the hallway before dinner?"

"I hope you don't," said Twitchtongue. "Perhaps the cook will give us an early supper. I wouldn't mind another piece of that pie from last night."

"That's true, and a good idea," said Chandra. "Do you know how to get to the kitchen?"

"I think I remember the way. Follow me."

About half an hour later, Twitchtongue admitted that perhaps he didn't really know the way.

"We might be lost," the rat added, hanging his head, his nose almost touching the stone floor in shame.

Chandra closed her eyes for a second, calming herself and trying not to think about how hungry she was or remember how long they were wandering around the halls the night before. As she opened her eyes, however, something caught her eye. "Wait, I recognize that carving on the wall! Follow me, I know where to go!"

As it turned out, she was right, and a few minutes later they walked into the kitchen. The same cook was there, and delighted to see them.

"You are here for supper," he said. "I thought you might come. There is pie waiting for you, or ask for something else. It is a pleasure to cook for such an esteemed visitor."

"Thank you, pie is fine," Chandra told him, wondering briefly whether there was a time when pie wasn't fine. Despite the often sameness, the food here was far better than what she'd eaten at home.

"It is my pleasure that the Overlander wishes to dine in my humble kitchen," he said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Hazard is here, as well, and perhaps we can answer any questions you have." With that, he left them and started to call out orders to other people.

"Okay, then," said Chandra, shrugging. "Let's go find the food." Her stomach grumbled in agreement.

"Agreed," said Twitchtongue. "Though I must admit that his remark about questions was strange. Perhaps he thinks that gnawers are not capable of speech?"

"Don't mind him, he's probably too busy with cooking to think properly," replied Chandra, just as dismissively as the cook had waved his hand. _I doubt it,_ said a small voice in her mind, but the girl kept that thought to herself.

"I had not thought of it that way. Perhaps you are correct in that sense." Twitchtongue sniffed the air. "I believe that pie is waiting for us," he added with a grin.

Laughing, they went over to the same table they had been before. Hazard was sitting there, a few papers spread out in front of him, with lots of lines covering it, some upright, and some tilted to the left or the right.

"What is that?" asked Chandra as she sat down. It looked like a code, and she loved codes, although she had difficulty learning them.

"It is a message from Luxa," replied Hazard. "Written in the Code." With that he began to squint at one paper, trying to decode it, while chewing on the tip of the quill pen he held.

"Like your Morse Code," explained Twitchtongue. "Only you have two sounds while we have three."

"I see," said Chandra, remembering the tedious hours she had spent alone in her bedroom, memorizing the Morse code. That had been years ago, though. The girl doubted she would recognize any of it now. "It is hard to learn? Could I learn it?"

"No, it is simple," said Hazard, grinning. He turned one of the papers over. "Here is what the code looks like by letter," he added, and drew a diagram. "The right lines are taps," explained the boy, and tapped the table once. "The straight are scratches-" he scraped his fingernail quickly over the stone "-and the left lines are clicks." He struck the table twice.

"So, tap, scratch, click?" Chandra asked, replicating the sounds, a tap, a scrape and two rapid taps.

"Yes, but it can be much faster," said Hazard. "I don't know it that well yet."

Chandra took a bite of her pie, which had been waiting on the table, though it was still almost too hot to eat. "So is it for communicating?" she asked, curious. _Stupid question_, she admonished herself. _Of course it's for communication_. "I mean," she amended. "For communicating between different... species?"

"Yes. Most species know it," replied Hazard, unperturbed by the slightly pointless question. "Luxa can teach you if you like. I'm still learning myself."

"Why do you call her Luxa when everyone else calls her Queen Luxa?" asked Chandra, changing the topic quickly.

"She is my cousin, and does not care what I call her," replied Hazard. "And she had only been officially queen for a few months, I see no reason to be so formal. She is like my sister."

"Regalian royalty must be sixteen or older to be ruler," explained Twitchtongue.

"Oh. Okay, I guess that makes sense." The girl ate for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. "Hazard, why weren't you in the training arena today or yesterday? Are you too young?" _No, _she thought to herself. _There were kids younger than Hazard in the arena. That can't be the reason..._

Hazard slowly gathered up the papers. "Because Luxa says I am not to learn to fight." He stood and raced away.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Chandra, biting her lip and glancing at Twitchtongue.

"No, I do not think you did, or at least, did not mean to do so, but Hazard's father asked Queen Luxa to not have Hazard trained to fight," explained the rat. "That was as Hamnet, Hazard's father, was dying after a fight with cutters. Hazard, since then, does not like fighting or cutters, though he does not say anything. It is clear, though, from the way he reacts. The prophecy, especially, he fears, for it seems to foretell the cutters attacking Regalia."

Chandra frowned at such morbid words. "How old is he?"

"Eleven. He had his birthday not too long ago as well."

Chandra yawned, sending all of the information into the back of her brain, where she could contemplate it later. "I think I better get some rest. Night, Twitchtongue."

"Good night?" The rat bolted down the last of his pie. "I have to escort you to your room."

"Sorry, I forgot," Chandra apologized. "I could have waited for you to finish eating..."

"No, I am used to fast meals," replied the rat. "Let's go get lost again, shall we?"

Chandra rolled her eyes. "Have a little faith. Perhaps we'll be luckier this time."

"In your dreams," Twitchtongue muttered. "Though we did manage to get there last night."

"Granted, we had help," pointed out Chandra. "We just have to get to the meeting room, then I can go alone from there. It's not all that far, anyway. Just a short walk."

"If you want," said the rat. "We better find the meeting room, then."

Fortunately, they found the meeting room door easily, and went their own ways. Chandra bathed as swiftly as she could, and then fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

She awoke the next morning, found a tray of breakfast food on the table by her bed, and downed it quickly, then dressed and went to find Twitchtongue and go to the nursery.

Dulcet had the children sitting in the telling circle when Chandra got there, and the teen easily continued from where she'd left off.

_The dragon was tired from flying so far, and fell into a deep sleep. Nothing he princess did could wake him, and finally she sat down in the sand and waited, hoping against all odds that the dragon would awake before the sorcerer came._

_Unfortunately, he did come before the dragon awoke, and, angry that the princess had tried to escape, he cast spell that would bring large bolts of fire from the sky to kill the dragon, forgetting that dragons are creatures of fire and thus cannot be harmed by flame._

_Indeed, the fire actually helped the dragon, awakening him and replenishing his strength. Angry, the dragon took a deep breath and was about to burn the sorcerer to ash, when the princess intervened. She whispered her plan into the dragon's ear, and the creature nodded its large, scaly head._

_The plan was simple and easily done. Faster than anything else in the world, the dragon shot into the sky, the princess on his back, and picked up the sorcerer, then tossed him into the tower. Once he'd done that, the dragon raked the ground with fire, turning the sand to glass in the intense heat. The stone tower also became glass, but a dark, thick glass that was somehow immune to magic. So the sorcerer was trapped inside, unable to get out, for spells of fire and stone such as his were no help in escaping a spellproof tower. He managed to stay alive by conjuring small creatures to fetch water and food, but it was a hard existence and he soon perished, partly from the heat, as glass gets very hot in the desert, and partly from pride, for a mere girl had beaten him._

_The princess, however, went back to having adventures and lived happily ever after._

_The End_

The children cheered happily when Chandra finished, and she stayed a little longer, answering questions, but finally had to leave for the arena. Luxa was probably waiting impatiently, and Chandra did not want to get on the other girl's bad side anymore than she'd already had. She sensed it was _not_ a fun place to be.

The queen was not yet there when Chandra and Twitchtongue entered the arena. Actually, there were fewer people than usual training and practicing.

"Where is everyone?" asked Chandra in surprise. "There used to be a lot of people here."

"I do not know. It is strange for it to be like this, except when there is a game to be played. There are no games scheduled that I know of, though." Twitchtongue looked around. The rat seemed worried. "Perhaps there will be more here later."

"Maybe," agreed Chandra. "Oh, there's Aurora !" She pointed to where a golden bat was flying, coming their way. "I better get a sword, I guess," she added, going over to the barrel to choose a well-used wooden weapon.

Luxa dismounted when Aurora had landed, instead of her normal tumbling act. "We will be working on the ground a bit," she said, her normally impassive eyes dull and tired. "Ready stance."

Chandra assumed the position, then blocked as Luxa attacked. They fought until lunch, then, after eating, Luxa sent Chandra away, the lesson over, saying that she had more important things to take care of.

Chandra didn't mind, though she'd forgotten to ask about learning the code. As she and Twitchtongue walked randomly through the palace, heading for the meeting room, she suddenly slapped her forehead.

"I forgot," she moaned. "About asking about the code."

"You can do so later," replied Twitchtongue. "I am sure the queen will teach you or have someone teach you it if you truly want to learn."

"I do, honestly!" Chandra sighed, then brightened as a thought occurred to her. "Could you teach me?"

"No. I never paid attention when I was supposed to be learning the code. It's all meaningless noise to me."

"Oh." Chandra was silent for a moment. "So what's going on with the prophecy?"

"I do not know," replied Twitchtongue. "Ripred did not tell me yet. The delegates must be arriving by now, though."

"Tomorrow's the third day," said Chandra. "Am I going to meet the other delegates?"

"I do not know. You must wait until they decide to inform us..." Twitchtongue was interrupted by a call from behind them. It was Mareth, riding Andromeda.

"Come," he said. "Your presence is wished in the meeting room.."

Chandra and Twitchtongue followed the bat to the room, where the same creatures from the first day were sitting once again at the table.

Luxa was pacing around the room, her face set in a scowl. "I do not wish to wait any longer," she protested aloud, glaring at the floor. "It is unnecessary..."

"All must work together," said the mouse. _Heronian_. Chandra remembered the name.

"Together, we must be, together, or fail, we shall, fail," added the cockroach.

"A few days will not hurt," said the rat. Ripred was not there, Chandra noticed. She tried to remember the other rat's name, but couldn't.

"A few days would be all the cutters need," protested Luxa. "An army could hold them easily..."

"But at what cost?" broke in Mareth. "You know well, Luxa, the price of war. Would you start a new one before the wounds of the last have faded from sight?"

"No, but if it is the only thing that will protect my people, what else can I do?" asked Luxa, spreading her hands. "There is no alternative, Mareth, if the delegates are not all here by tomorrow night."

"A day will have no effect," said Mareth. "We can wait that long, at least, if we must."

The door flew open, and a spider came racing in, the same one from several days before. Chandra took a swift step back, standing slightly behind Twitchtongue, who gave her an odd look before turning back to the spider.

The spider stopped and started rubbing its two front legs across its chest. A humming noise formed words in the air. "The flutterfly has arrived, but there is worse news, there is danger!"


	10. Chapter 10

Well, it's certainly been a while since the last chapter.  
My apologies for that. The last few weeks have been busy enough to keep me (forcibly) away from writing.  
I'm hoping now that the craziness has died down a bit, I'll be able to get more done.

Anyway, here's the newest chapter.  
I gave it a quick readover after uploading, and  
fixed the minor errors (like clumped words) I noticed.  
Please forgive any I missed.  
Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Ten

"Danger?" The cry burst from everyone's throat at once; Chandra was unsure if she had said it herself. Her frantic grey eyes darted from each person and creature in the room, taking in their reactions. Mareth and Luxa were frowning; the cockroach's antennae and the mouse's whiskers were twitching in sync. It was harder to read the mole's, rats' and bat's emotions, but they also seemed anxious.

"The cutters?" asked Mareth calmly, his face becoming as blank and unfeeling as a mask. "Is it the cutters?"

"Yes..." The agitated spider would have said more if it were not for Luxa interrupting him while twirling a few strands of light hair around one finger.

"Are they approaching Regalia?" The queen's purple eyes were dark and brimming with worry. She forcibly stopped fiddling with her hair and crossed her arms, attempting to seem as composed as Mareth, and blatantly failing.

"No, they have vanished," hummed the spider, the words almost a continuous stream of sound. "The flutterfly has brought news," it added, then dropped its legs. Its feet clicked on the stone floor.

There was a short, uneasy pause, then, "Thank you, Reflex," Heronian said, humming the words as the spider did and nodding her head in thanks. The mouse gave the queen a pointed look.

"Yes, thank you," Luxa belatedly added, casting a scowl at the mouse. The frown deepened further as she turned back to the spider. "Is the flutterfly able to speak with us?"

"Tired, it is, tired," the cockroach interrupted, waving its antennae. _Can a wave of its antennae pick up feelings?_ Chandra wondered absently. _Or is it just making an educated guess?_

"Speak, will it, speak?" it continued, the antennae halting their movement. A tremor ran down the shiny brown carapace and the antennae started twitching again.

"Yes," a vibrating voice filled the room; the spinner had spoken again. The arachnid then scuttled over to the table, passing close to Chandra. Only sheer willpower kept the girl in her place. Every nerve in her body screamed at her, telling her to flee from the horrid creature. Chandra felt her arm twitch in response to the screaming and held in a distressed yelp.

_Curse arachnophobia_, she thought, shaking her head and diverting her eyesight as the spinner settled down on the opposite side of the table. _Why'd it have to pick me as a victim?_

Ears back, Twitchtongue nudged her. "What is wrong with you?" he hissed, his voice just loud enough for her sensitive ears to pick up. "The spinner will do you no harm."

Her face reddening, Chandra searched for and failed to find a witty reply. Fortunately she was saved from answering at all when Ripred rushed in.

"The flutterfly arrived," he said, scratching the scar on his muzzle with one claw as he looked around. His eyes settled on the group and the rat snorted. "I take it I am late, judging by the lack of reaction. It wishes to speak with you before resting."

"She, it be, she," said the roach, twitching in agitation.

"Female, you mean, Temp?" asked Nike, her wings fluttering a little. The bat's ears were swiveling, picking up soft movement outside the door.

Nike's gentle words calmed Temp and his antennae settled again. "Yes, female, yes."

"Bring her in then," came Luxa's regal voice. The queen sat down in the largest stone chair at the table, impatient fingers tapped on the armrest. "It is getting late," she added, scowling.

The cockroach scurried over to the door and stuck its head outside. There was clicking and soft noise akin to a feather duster in use, then Temp backed away, antennae waving languidly.

"Come, she, come," he stated, returning to his respectful place at the table. One foot tapped quietly at the floor, then stilled at a glare from Ripred.

"Welcome," Luxa told her, keeping her normally commanding voice soft and standing as the moth fluttered in. "We are grateful-"

Chandra got a brief glimpse of the flutterfly, large and grey, when suddenly something deep and instinctive kicked in. The girl's wings opened partway and her echolocation clicks burst from her throat as she sprang at the creature.

Something heavy and rope-like struck Chandra in the chest and knocked her toward the stone wall. Twitchtongue thrust himself between her and the wall, trying to lessen the impact his friend would take. The move worked, though not as well as the rat had hoped. Chandra had a slightly softer landing, but her breath was still knocked from her lungs, and one wing struck the wall at an awkward angle.

Her right wing throbbed, and the girl grimaced as she attempted to stand. Only the left wing would fold now; the other ached at the base. Dislocated, and she needed to get it fixed before the wing membrane tore.

"Ai! Murderings, murderings!" The scared moth flitted out of the room, just in time. Chandra had been gathering herself for another attack, despite her injuries. Struggling to her feet, she felt a deep pain ripple down her wing from the joint, and her wrist hurt with the slightest movement.

The girl took a deep breath and stood still, shaking from the rush of adrenaline.

"Not exactly the first impression we expected to make," remarked Ripred sardonically, his tail swishing.

"What happened?" demanded Luxa, springing to her feet. Scowling, she waved an imperious hand at the cockroach. "Temp, see if you can calm our guest down."

"I will help," the spider hummed. Reflex's eight eyes glancing hesitantly at Chandra before it followed the cockroach out of the room. The door was left open, and Chandra was careful not to glance that way, afraid she'd be drawn out into the hall to go after the moth again.

"I don't know," she said, in answer to Luxa's question. It was the truth, this had never happened before. Ever.

"Tiger moth," said Ripred, suddenly chuckling. "There is a slight difference between Overland and Underland bats in their eating habits. I've read books on Overland bats, they eat moths, what we call flutterflies."

"Eat a flutterfly?" gasped Nike, realizing what the rat was saying. The bat's ears were flat, and she bared her teeth slightly, mouth twisted in her specie's version of a scowl. "A horrible idea."

"In the... Overland," Chandra said slowly, remembering all the books on bats _she'd_ read. "Tiger moths are one of the insects bats enjoy the most." She frowned, a picture rising into her mind from memory. "But tiger moths are colorful, and that one was grey." Her frown deepened, as did Luxa's and Mareth's.

"Actually, the flutterfly is a light golden color," said Twitchtongue. He didn't quite meet Chandra's eyes, still shaken by his Overland friend's strange reaction to the flutterfly. "It only appears grey if you look at it quickly."

"I wasn't looking at the color," admitted Chandra, shuddering as she realized what she had done, or almost done. "I don't understand!" she cried, clenching her good hand into a fist. "Why did I attack the moth, er, flutterfly?" The question was directed to herself as much as to the others.

"_Peace has fled_," murmured Heronian, nodding wisely. The mouse's brown eyes bored into Chandra's silver ones. "Even if you did not mean to attack the flutterfly-"

"I certainly didn't do it on purpose!" Chandra snapped, her eyes flashing with anger at the mere suggestion.

"Cost you may help we need," said a deep voice slowly but bluntly. The mole, its nose twitching, had spoken for the first time. Blind eyes seemed to focus on the girl.

"I'm sorry!" Angry that they didn't seem to understand, Chandra crossed her arms, then cried out with pain and fell to her knees. The quick movement had pulled at the dislocated wing. It felt like she'd torn a muscle.

"What's wrong? Chandra?" Twitchtongue was worried, and rightly so. The girl was close to blacking out from the sudden influx of pain.

"Wing... dislocated..." she managed to gasp, squeezing her eyes shut as shock started to set in and she began to shake violently. She hadn't hurt this badly since... the first time she'd tried to escape. They'd captured her, then locked her in a dark room with no light. Battering against the locked door, she'd injured herself very badly. Broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. But it didn't hurt as much as this did.

Mareth slowly approached the girl. "Hold still," he ordered, keeping his voice calm and getting a firm grip on her shoulder. "Luxa, aid me."

A frown on her face, the queen came could feel the anger and hostility without even looking at Luxa's face. "What are you doing?" the queen snarled, crossing her arms.

"Fixing her wing," said Mareth, in a tone that dared Luxa to argue. "Chandra, lie on your stomach. Luxa, hold her shoulders steady."

Willingly following the instructions, Chandra flattened her body on the freezing stone. Tears threatened to leak from beneath her eyelids, but she held them back, concentrating instead on holding as still as she could.

A tight scowl still twisting her face, Luxa approached Chandra, shoving her shoulders down more violently than was asked for. Biting her lip, Chandra tried to relax. Tense muscles would only make it more difficult to fix her wing.

A brief yet fiery flash raced through her entire body as Mareth pushed the bone into its proper place. Seconds later the blinding pain ebbed to a dull ache. Chandra lay on her stomach for a moment after the queen released her shoulders. Adrenaline flushed from her system, she was suddenly exhausted. At last she pushed her body up with her good hand, leaning one shoulder against the stone wall. She folded the wing slowly, moving it at a speed that didn't ignite any sudden, painful flares. The hurt still existed around the joint but at a level she could handle.

"Thank you," Chandra murmured to Mareth, keeping her eyes on the stone wall's smooth surface. Her face was still flushed from the adrenaline, she could feel the heat. _Curse CGE_, she thought. _It's their fault this happened._

"We should put her in confinement," said Luxa, stepping away and turning her back on the girl. The queen looked to the others in the room for their agreement or argument.

Chandra looked up, her eyes wide, just as Twitchtongue positioned himself between the queen and his friend.

"_No!_" he protested, the red brown fur on his shoulders bristling in anger. "You cannot!"

"Actually, she can," Ripred corrected. "And it might not be a bad idea." Despite his harsh words, there was a slight smile playing about his muzzle.

"But-"

"She attacked the flutterfly," said Nike, her ears still back, almost flat against her skull. "Why should we not put her in confinement, at least until the flutterfly leaves?" The bat would have continued, but at that moment Chandra stood, casting a glare around the room. Mole, mouse, bat, one human and one rat returned the look with frowns. Mareth seemed impassive, deferring to his queen. Ripred looked almost amused, and Twitchtongue looked worried.

"You're no better than the CGE people!" With that outburst, Chandra fled the room.


	11. Chapter 11

**After a crazy January, I finally found time get a chapter up!**

**Enjoy!!!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

One image burned in Chandra's mind as she ran in the opposite direction to the one the moth, cockroach and spider had taken. Twitchtongue's sorrowful look right after she'd screamed at everyone. Wincing, the girl futilely tried to brush the memory away.

She tore through the hallways, blindly choosing a direction each time she reached a split in the corridor, for a long time. Pushing past curtains that blocked her way, she swung around corners and dodged the occasional guard, eventually reaching a dead end. There she collapsed, burying her face in shaking hands.

_You really messed that up_. The annoying part in her brain had finally decided to speak.

Chandra shook her head, trying to ignore the harsh words. The girl wondered what else lay dormant within. As for her sudden attack, would she do the same again? This time to someone else? Did bats eat rats? Probably not, they were too big. Cockroaches? Maybe. Spiders? The last caused a slight shudder to run down her spine. No, not them. Not ever.

_Maybe you should go back to Dr. Delinz_, continued the persistent whisper.

"I can't," Chandra moaned, letting her hands fall limply into her lap. A long sigh shook her body, jostling her injured wing. Pain jolted through it**. **

"Can't do what?" Twitchtongue came around the corner and scampered down the last small section of corridor to where Chandra was slumped on the floor. His ears were back, but at sight of his friend they perked up again.

"Can't go home," Chandra snapped. She stood, brushing dust off her clothes, then sighed. Snapping at her friend wasn't fair, he hadn't done anything. "Sorry. Thanks for getting between me and that wall," she added. "I might have broken something, otherwise."

"Ripred didn't mean to hurt you," replied the rat. "You're welcome," he added awkwardly, unused to praise.

The girlshrugged. "It could have been worse. A lot worse." Standing up, she had to reach out a hand to the nearest wall to support herself. "Why did you follow me?"

"Luxa sent me to tell you that the delegates are meeting tomorrow and you can be present if you do not attack the flutterfly again." Twitchtongue spoke in a rush, uncertain how his friend would react. "But I was worried, too," he added.

"Thanks, Twitchtongue." Chandra ran a hand through her pale, tangled hair, then looked around. "I suppose I should go back to my room, or am I to be put into confinement?" The girl suppressed a shudder. Confinement was the last place she wanted to be.

"Mareth said you should rest," replied the rat, smiling. "And he made Luxa promise _not_ to put you in confinement. He is also sending a doctor to look at your wing."

_A doctor?_ Chandra crossed her arms to keep herself from shaking, and managed to say in an even voice, "No. My wing is fine."

"You will have to talk to the doctor," Twitchtongue persisted, scratching behind one ear with a claw. "Follow me."

Walking after the rat, Chandra stayed silent. Her ribs ached worse than they had after she'd fallen the night she'd entered the Underland, and speaking didn't help. Her wrist was painful too, and her wing joint flared with every step she took. The stone floor seemed to stretch on forever, and the walls were plain here, with few carvings. The never-ending grey was beginning to torture her eyes.

"Is the flutterfly going to leave?" she ventured at last, anxious to know how badly she had frightened it. Maybe Heronian and the mole had been exaggerating, but perhaps not.

"No. You scared it, but not _that_ badly." Twitchtongue managed a small chuckle. "Actually, the fact that you frightened a flutterfly revealed something we were not sure of yet. The spinners don't feel like we do, and we wondered if the flutterflies were like that. Fortunately it seems they're not."

"I'm really sorry about scaring it-her," Chandra apologized, biting her lip before changing subjects. "The spinners don't have emotions?"

"No. As for scaring it, I am sure you will not have any problems tomorrow at the delegates' meeting. Ripred thinks it was a one-time thing. Is it?"

Chandra shrugged, unsure, and halted. A carving had caught her eye, and she traced around the outline of the moon. The picture was cut at varying depths, depicting craters and mountains. As far as her inexperienced eye could tell, it looked just like the surface of the moon.

"Chandra?" Twitchtongue was ahead; he'd not realized she'd stopped.

"I'm not sure I should even go." Chandra muttered with a sigh before joining her friend. She had only been in the Underland for a few days, but it was already feeling like home - well, more of a home than the place she'd left. The idea of it being harmed was frightening. The thought of harming it herself, even indirectly, hurt. If she went to the meeting and went-

_Crazy,_ she told herself, walking along in silence. _You went crazy. And if that happens again, you could destroy the Underland, by losing your friends' only hope for survival in the flutterfly..._

"Not the Underland's, just Regalia's hope for survival. The humans would die, and perhaps the nibblers, but gnawers and flyers and most of the-" Twitchtongue stopped. His friend was wearing a blank look. "You did not mean to say that out loud?"

"No." Chandra shook her head, then shrugged and looked around. What had been said could not be taken back. "How lost are we?"

"Lost? We are not lost. Your room is right around this corner." The rat indicated the upcoming twist in the corridor with a jerk of his muzzle.

"Good," grumbled the girl, following her friend around said corner. "Because I'm exhausted!"

"Nerissa." The rat stopped suddenly and bobbed his head in respect. Chandra stared in shock. The frail girl was leaning against the wall, which seemed to be the only thing holding her upright. She looked worse than she had before.

"Twitch, Overlander. I thought you might pass this way." A faint smile crossed her face. "The flutterfly wishes me to pass on her regrets for reacting as she did. She believes it was her own fault you attacked her. I understand that it was not, but do not blame yourself..." Nerissa's face paled and her eyes closed just before she fainted.

Just in time, Chandra jumped forward to catch the other girl, grimacing as she supported Nerissa's weight.

"Now what?" she gasped, adjusting her balance.

"I will fetch the doctor." Before the girl could say anything, Twitchtongue had dashed down the hall, his tail vanishing into the wall - no, a door in the wall.

A long minute later, pattering footsteps headed in her direction and a young man dressed in a white coat came into view, following the worried rat. Twitchtongue shifted from foot to foot as the man took Nerissa, nodding a friendly greeting to Chandra.

"I am Howard, Nerissa's cousin," he told her before turning to the rat. "Thank you for fetching me. You are?"

"Twitchtongue. You may call me Twitch. This is Chandra, the Overlander. Is Nerissa going to be all right? She was talking to us, then fainted."

"It is only one of her spells," replied the doctor. "Come with me. Overlander, do you mind if Nerissa stays in your room? We can set up a room in the hospital, just for tonight. My cousin needs rest and peace."

"No!" Chandra hated hospitals, but then she glanced at the limp form Howard was carrying, and frowned. She'd have to deal with it for one night. It couldn't be that bad. "I mean... Okay. But only one night."

"Only one night," agreed Howard, with a skeptical glance at her white face. "How is your wing?" he continued, beginning to walk down the hall. "Does it hurt?"

"Only a little." The girl crossed her arms and stayed well back, walking beside Twitchtongue. In her mind, doctors were not to be trusted. Actually the wing did hurt, worse now after her run through the halls. However, she'd learned that admitting pain wasn't a good idea and was not about to say anything. The pain wasn't too unbearable, just a dull throbbing that occasionally spiked**.**

"And your wrist has healed? Mareth mentioned it was injured."

"My wrist's fine." It wasn't, but as far as she could tell, she hadn't damaged it further.

"Wait here." Howard went into Chandra's room and returned a moment later, without Nerissa and carrying her backpack. "Will you need this?"

The girl snatched it from him. "Leave my things alone!"

"Calm down," the doctor said, raising his hands. "I touched nothing."

Glaring, Chandra slung the backpack over her shoulders and stepped back. Her entire body was tense, and her wings ached from the tightened muscles. She tried to relax, but only became tenser. Random memories of various hospitals she'd been too flashed through her mind. Howard reminded her of many different doctors the girl had met and hated. Especially the one who sedated her that day in the conference...

"Uh, Chandra?" Twitchtongue nudged the girl's ribs with his muzzle, causing the girl to wince and grit her teeth. "I don't know about you, but I am tired and wish to sleep tonight."

"Lead the way," muttered Chandra, hitching up the backpack, which pressed uncomfortably on her injured wing. _To the execution,_ she added to herself. _Hospitals. Why'd Nerissa have to faint? I _hate_ hospitals..._ A high-pitched whine came from her closed mouth, too high for the doctor to hear. The rat, on the other hand, heard and glanced at his friend in worry.

"It is not far," Howard promised. "Follow me."

"I'm okay," Chandra murmured to her friend, noting his worried look. "Just nervous."

"You don't like hospitals?"

"You noticed?" Her sarcastic reply was overheard by the doctor.

"Noticed what?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Nothing," replied the other two in unison.

"Sorry, Twitchtongue. No, I don't," said Chandra quietly a moment later, ending an uncomfortable silence.

"Twitch," corrected the rat. "Call me Twitch."

"Twitch," repeated Chandra, shaking her head. "Fine."

At the hospital, Twitchtongue took his leave.

"I will see you in the morning, early," he told her. "Get plenty of sleep."

"Early?" asked the girl, groaning. "Why?"

"Because that is when they are having the meeting..."


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, long after I planned on getting a chapter up, here it is!  
Apologies for taking so long. My life gets worse by the day...  
First internet restrictions, now our only comp with net access is dying...  
Well, you get the point.**

**Enjoy!**

**Edit: Oh, almost forgot!!!**

**My wonderful beta, Mep, helped with this chapter!  
(She has helped with most of the chapters. Apologies to her if I've forgotten to mention it...)**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Ivory white walls and a sharp, familiar smell. Chandra sat up breathing hard, and glanced around in panic. Why was she in a hospital room? A quick glance at her arms reassured her, she didn't have needles taped to her skin. However, her wing still ached at the base. Her wrist's pain was but a memory, feeling much better than the night before. The night before... Her memories of last night returned and she relaxed. _Oh, right. Nerissa collapsed so I slept in the hospital._

Stomach grumbling, the girl hastily made her bed, packed her bag, and got out. Hospitals ranked high on her 'least favorite' list, so she had no intentions of lingering. Pondering if she had time to look for the kitchen, Chandra failed notice Twitchtongue until she had nearly run into the rat.

"Morning," she greeted him, slinging her backpack onto her shoulders. A painful protest came from the jostled wing, then dulled again.

"Good morning, Chandra," he replied, ears perking. "I was about to go find you. Dulcet has left your breakfast in your room. Nerissa left sometime last night. Ripred told me to bring you to the meeting room immediately, though..."

"No. I need something to eat," the girl protested, her stomach growling in agreement.

The rat chuckled. "I can tell. Follow me, we can stop for five minutes before Ripred comes looking."

"Thanks, Twitch," Chandra sighed in relief. The thought of facing the flutterfly on an empty stomach - and the meeting - was enough to make her want to return to the hospital room and go to back to sleep. Sleep... The girl rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes at the thought. She hadn't gotten much the night before.

"We're taking the back way," Twitchtongue commented, beginning to walk forward. "Luxa alerted the guards; they're to take you straight to the meeting room." He looked back at Chandra for confirmation she was coming. Chandra shrugged, not caring as long as she got to eat.

Had she known what the back way was, she would never agreed to take it. Even if it meant skipping breakfast.

Long, twisting corridors dimly lit by torches spiraled out ahead. Twitchtongue made an impatient noise with the girl hesitated. Slinking forward reluctantly, Chandra noticed old, worn carvings on the wall. After studying the 'artwork' in one place, she tried not to focus on them anymore; they were horrible scenes of bloody battles now past.

"These were once called the Path of History," Twitch muttered in a low voice, his eyes darting from side to side as he scurried along. "The humans tend to avoid them now. I don't come here anymore than I must."

"I can see why." Chandra shuddered as a particularly bloody scene passed through her peripheral vision. She turned her gaze to the floor, which was uneven for some reason, and realized there were carvings below her feet as well. No doubt, the ceiling had been chiseled into pictures as well, though it was too shadowy for her to make anything out. "What's the point of having so many battles carved into the stone?" she asked, folding her arms, her shoulders hunched. This place was scary.

"The humans carved it some years ago to remind themselves of the terrors that they were trying to prevent happening again." Twitchtongue's ears flattened. "Like that one," he said quietly, pointing his nose at a tree. There was a pool of water carved beneath it. It seemed peaceful until Chandra took a closer look and realized the tiny scratches that marred the pool's surface were actually faces. They were the faces of many rats, their pups and even human soldiers, all wearing terrified expressions forever caught in stone. Above them bats wove through the tree branches.

"What happened?" she gasped, backing away. "Did-did they all drown?"

"The rats did, most of them." Twitchtongue turned away from the wall. "Those who survived, most lost their families. Hazard's father fled Regalia in the aftermath." The rat frowned, somber as he started walking again. "Vikus used to come here sometimes and look at the carvings," he continued, switching subjects.

Chandra accepted the change, despite the many questions swirling in her head, including _What did Hazard's father have to do with it?_ Hurrying after her friend, she asked, "Who's Vikus?"

"You have not yet met him. He is Luxa's grandfather, and used to be king. He was then a council member until recently, when he had a stroke."

"Oh." Chandra fell silent, unsure what to say. A quiet unease surrounded them for the rest of their journey through the past. The girl was worried she'd said something wrong - there was so much she didn't know! But the silence was too deep for her to even consider trying to break it.

At last the walls and floor became smooth for a while, then the normal, ordinary carvings returned. They reached her bedroom and the girl raced inside. The oatmeal was cold, as she had feared, but Chandra was starving and she ate every bite before hurrying back to join her friend. She was already late, and nobody in his or her right mind would want to Luxa make any angrier than she was normally.

Twitchtongue headed for the meeting room at a brisk pace. He was worried Ripred would come searching for them.

"And if he does, I'll be in trouble for not bringing you sooner," he grumbled. "Even though I had to search through half the castle to find you and you then insisted on breakfast..."

Chandra scowled at the rat. "That's not how it happened at all!"

"It would be better for me if it was," Twitchtongue replied nervously. "If the meeting started without us, Ripred will have my hide."

_That's comforting,_ Chandra thought. The girl was nervous too, but for different reasons. Her recent meal lay like a leaden lump in her stomach, and she began to question her decision to have breakfast. With the flutterfly to worry about and the meeting, not to mention the weird prophecy that might refer to her, Chandra was beginning to feel over her depth again. The Underland was no longer so intriguing. The Path of History had warned her about the dangers lurking behind every corner here, and for a moment, she wished she were home again.

_What home?_ she chided herself. _You have no home now. Besides, this place is not so bad. At least there aren't doctors poking needles into you, or worse. In addition, you have a friend now, which is more than you did two weeks ago._ Weeks. How long had it been since she'd come to the Underland? The days and nights blended together in a place without the sun. _No moon, either,_ she thought with a quiet sigh. She didn't mind not having the sun - its glare could blind her at times - but she missed the cool white glow of its sister celestial. _The moon._

"Are you all right?" whispered Twitchtongue. They were nearing the meeting room door.

Chandra nodded, trying to appear impassive. This was it. Her final chance. If she flipped out, she would throw herself into a confinement room, and spare Luxa the trouble. The girl reminded herself that her friend's life depended on this, squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and followed the rat into the room.

A wave of relief washed over Chandra as she scanned the room. _Oh, good, the flutterfly's not here._ Then the doubts began to rise. _What if I flip when it comes in like I did last time?_ She didn't have time to worry too much, as her eyes suddenly focused on a barely perceptible grey shape hovering against the wall. No, not grey, pale gold like Twitchtongue had said the day before. A greyish gold, in fact. _Ash gold_, she thought, barely able to hide a smile, then quickly switched her gaze to the queen, who had begun to speak.

"Welcome, Twitchtongue, Overlander," said Luxa as she nodded in acknowledgment. The queen didn't look angry. Chandra took that as a good sign.

"You're late," growled Ripred.

"Sorry," muttered the younger rat. "I'll try harder next time." An air of tension pervaded the room.

"It was my fault," Chandra intervened, sensing the approaching argument. "I wanted some breakfast."

"Next time send a guard to inform us of the fact," Luxa said, frowning slightly. Chandra winced, the queen's disapproval was clear. Perhaps not in a good mood, after all. "We've been waiting, wasting time and light."

_Wasting light?_ Chandra wondered, making a mental note to ask Twitchtongue about that later. She didn't see how they could waste light by being a few minutes late. The torches didn't burn oil that fast.

"I would like to present to you the ambassador from the moths' land, Fissin."

"It is pleasing to meet you," said the moth, with barely a quiver of her antennae. Clearly, she didn't want to cause another attack.

"Good to meet you, too," Chandra said, trying to maintain a slight smile. So far, so good. There was a faint stirring deep inside, but she held it down. For how much longer she could do so, she wasn't sure, and the girl decided to leave should anything start to happen.

"We are satisfied the girl will not be harming," Fissin told Luxa with a bob of its antennae.

"Sit," the queen told Chandra, who took the farthest seat from the moth - and the spider, who was also present. Twitchtongue stood behind her, as there were no free seats and because he had not been invited to sit. Ripred nodded his approval.

"We are gathered to discuss a new prophecy," Luxa said in a formal voice. "Heronian, will you recite it for the benefit of our ambassador?"

Chandra turned her eyes to the table and bit her lip. One of her hands trembled, and she willed it to be still.

"Of course," said the mouse. "_Once the warrior is dead..._" Heronian recited the prophecy, beginning to end, without pause. "..._United or all shall die_."

"United or all shall die," echoed a faint voice from the doorway.

Chandra's head snapped around in unison with the others. Her eyes widened; Nerissa was standing in the doorway, as pale as before.

"I've discovered..." The girl crumpled to the floor in a faint.


	13. Chapter 13

**I apologize for not updating for so long. Writer's block sucks.**

**Thanks to my awesome beta, Blood Red Topaz, for fixing all my mistakes and generally making my writing look good!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

"Nerissa?" Luxa got to her feet and hurried over. "Cousin? She's barely breathing... Someone fetch Howard!"

Ripred raced out the door.

"Who is this?" asked the moth. Chandra couldn't tell if it was curious or worried. The dusty voice hardly changed whether it was asking a question or stating something.

"My cousin Nerissa," replied Luxa. "My apologies, Fissin, she has frail health."

"A seer?" The moth's antennae fluttered.

"No," said the queen, but something in her voice spoke differently. Chandra wondered if it were true. Not that it would surprise her in this place. The Underland revealed more strange things each day.

"The meeting will begin again in one hour," added the queen. "Until then, you may all do as you wish."

Heronian nodded, and trotted out the door. "Fissin, come with me. Queen Luxa, I ask your permission to show her the prophecy room."

"I grant your request," Luxa murmured, distracted byher cousin.

Chandra kept her eyes on the table while the moth flew out the door, following the mouse. The girl's hands flexed, and she latched onto the edge of the table, letting the rough stone dig into her skin. The pain made a good distraction.

"Reflex, you may go, as well," the queen told the spider.

"Leaving the room would be a waste of energy," hummed the creature. "I will stay."

Chandra bit her lip and stood. She wasn't going to stay here for an hour in the company of a spider.

"Stay, Overlander." Reflex walked closer**. **Chandra's stomach knotted and she felt like fleeing.

"I wish to hear the news from the Overland. How is Lizzie?"

The question was the last one Chandra was expecting. She sat down with a thump, too surprised to be afraid.

"Uh, she's fine," she managed to say after a pause. Why was everyone interested in Lizzie in this place? First Ripred, now the spider...

"Good. She is a fine code breaker."

"Code breaker?" Chandra repeated inconfusion.

"During the last war," the spider hummed, "Lizzie cracked the Code of Claw that had many code breakers - including myself - stumped."

"I see." The girl's fingers wrapped around the sides of her stone seat. She could feel her heart accelerating, and tried to breathe slowly, calmly. It was a difficult task. Her arachnophobia was exceptionallysevere.

"Am I troubling you?" Reflex asked, tapping two legs together in what seemed an embarrassed movement.

"N-no, I'm fine." Chandra stood again. "I'll be back." As fast as she dared, the girl walked out of the room, Twitchtongue following. The rat was strangely quiet.

"Sorry," he apologized once they'd gone down the hall a ways. "I was not sure whether to speak or not. What was wrong?"

The girl's face reddened. "I have arachnophobia."

"What?"

"An unfounded fear of spiders," Ripred answered before Chandra could.

The larger rat had joined them silently. "Nerissa will be awake shortly. Chandra needs to return to the meeting room, and I need you, Twitchtongue, to come with me."

"Why?" asked Twitchtongue. It was a mistake.

Ripred gave him a hard cuff on the ear. "Because I say so. Don't question orders. Overlander, can you find the meeting room?"

"It's right down the hall," Chandra said, pointing.

"Move along, then. I'm sure Nerissa has a good reason for interrupting an important meeting."

Shooting her friend a quick glance, Chandra nodded once to Ripred, then turned and fled down the hallway, headed for the meeting room. She hoped Twitchtongue wasn't in trouble. It'd be all my fault, she thought, biting her lip.

"It's about time," Luxa grumbled as Chandra reentered the room. In the few minutes she'd been gone**;**everyone had returned and was seated, except for the queen. Howard was gone, and Chandra bit back a sigh of relief. With a spider and a moth to deal with, the last thing she needed was a doctor's white coat causing flashbacks. Luxa stood next to her chair; Nerissa was sitting there, looking pale but coherent.

"Sorry," Chandra murmured, taking her seat. _But didn't you say the meeting would begin in one hour? _she asked the queen silently.

"Now that everyone's here," Luxa said formally with a final scorching glare in Chandra's direction, "Nerissa will tell us what caused her distress."

The room was completely silent - everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

"I had a vision," Nerissa said in a soft voice, barely above a whisper.

If the room hadn't been dead silent, she would not have been heard. "I stood on the palace's roof, and a black shape flew toward me." She paused, looking worried. "The shape formed out of the darkness, and I knew immediately who it was. Ares flew toward me."

There was a faint hiss from Nike, and Chandra glanced at her, wondering in a mixture of puzzlement and surprise who Ares was. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"It is good Gregor is not here to hear this," Luxa murmured quietly.

Chandra frowned, and glanced at the council. No one else seemed to have heard the queen's solemn words.

"Ares flew toward me," Nerissa repeated, her voice growing firmer.

"And on his back was Solovet..." She faltered for a moment, and it was Luxa's turn to gasp.

Chandra wished the frail girl would get to the point, though she wondered who Ares was - a bat, he sounded like - and who Solovet was.

"Ares came so close I could feel the wind his wings made, and then Solovet drew her sword and pointed at me." Nerissa shifted in her chair, looking agitated. "I was not scared, but surprised. Then she spoke. This is what she said." The girl's voice took on a slight lilt as she recited the words from memory.

QUEST TO FIND AND QUEST TO KILL  
FIND YOU MUST THE ONE WHO KNOWS  
LIGHT SHALL DIM AND BLOOD SHALL SPILL  
ONE OF EACH AND ONE MORE GO

JOIN THE JOURNEY, KNOW THE TASK  
LIGHT OF MOON THE WAY SHALL SHOW  
AND THE QUEEN THE QUESTION ASK  
ONE OF EACH AND ONE MORE GO

ONE WHO KNOWS THE WAY SHALL LEAD  
WHISPERING OF JOY OR WOE  
WHERE DARKNESS CLAIMS AND COURAGE BLEED  
ONE OF EACH AND ONE MORE GO

"What does it mean?" Nike exclaimed as the words finished echoing from the walls.

"Obviously we have waited too long," Luxa said, frowning. "We are being told to quest, and to leave soon."

"But who is to go?" Lapblood wondered aloud.

"One of each and one more go," Nerissa murmured weakly.

"One person is obvious," said Luxa, scowling. Chandra flinched at the hard stare the queen gave her. "Light of moon the way shall show? Our leader has been obviously chosen."

"No!" Chandra protested, realizing what the queen was hinting at. "I can't lead a quest!"

"You have no choice," Heronian told her calmly.

For a moment Chandra was overwhelmed by an aching desire to simply fly off, find a window and go zipping into the darkness until the city had vanished behind her and there was nothing but her with her wings, floating through the deep dark.

She'd darted through the doorway without realizing it, shaking, not caring that she was making a scene. No, she told herself, pausing for a moment outside the meeting room door, one hand resting unconsciously on the wall. I can't just leave. I have nowhere to go, no idea how to survive.

Survive. For so long that had been her only objective, to survive the excruciating tests the scientists had put her through, the horrible clean room she'd rarely left, then the constant moving across the country. Zigzagging from state to state until her memory began to blur, no longer able to keep straight the different places she'd lived.

Now, though, Chandra was in a completely different place than she was used to. Survival here meant relying - however little - on others, not flinching every time someone so much as gave her a second glance. She thought about how friendly everyone was, how Twitchtongue had befriended her despite her wings and the fact they were different species, how many of the bats actually admired her wings.

No, flying away wasn't the answer, even if it was going to get dangerous. She'd heard the phrase 'fair weather friend' before and never wanted to be called one. If she was supposed to lead, she'd find a way to do so, even if she had no idea where she was going or what the questors were supposed to do when they got there.

Thus decided, she straightened her back and walked into the room, her head held high.

"What do we need to do first?"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Chandra stared at the rushing water in dismay. "No. Absolutely not. There's got to be another way!"

"There is not," Twitchtongue replied. "I am _glad_ I am not going."

"You don't know that yet," Chandra corrected, glancing over her shoulder toward the distant palace.

"Then I _hope_ I do not have to go." The rat backed away from the end of the pier. "I am returning to the palace. Coming?"

The girl nodded, sighing. "I hate water," she grumbled, glaring at the river one last time before following her friend.

Mareth was waiting for them at the ground level. "The Council has finished considering the prophecy," he said. "Those who are to go have been chosen. You leave tomorrow."

Chandra gulped.

"Good luck," Twitchtongue told his friend. "I hope you make it back."

"I hope you both make it back," Mareth said, chuckling at the rat's horrified expression. "I suppose you have not yet heard the decision. Come, Queen Luxa and the others wish to speak to you."

"Both?" Twitchtongue cried as he and Chandra burst into the Council's meeting room.

Luxa gave the rat a cold look. "The Prophecy of Moon and the prophecy my cousin spoke made it clear."

"Queen Luxa must go as well," Nike said, bowing her head. "Ripred volunteered, and Fissin agrees to go, as sending for another flutterfly would take too long."

"What about the other creatures?" Chandra asked. She looked from her friend to the queen to the other creatures in the room, noticing for the first time that there was two of almost every species standing around the table – only one moth, though. "What do the prophecies have to do with who goes?"

"The Prophecy of Moon has a repeated verse that speaks the name of several Underland species," Heronian explained with her usual patience. "That tells us which species are involved in the quest."

"Brother Epoch, go will, Brother Epoch," Temp spoke up, his antennae swaying toward the second cockroach in the room.

"Honored, I am, honored." Epoch bobbed his head.

"Vurox joins the quest with the queen's blessing," hummed Reflex.

"Helix also," Heronian said.

The grey bat standing next to Nike bowed his head. "I am Pluto."

"Mole name Birrracavl be," said the new mole, the feelers around his nose twitching.

By now Chandra was having trouble keeping up. After a long day she felt exhausted, and all she wanted was to sink into her bed and _sleep_.

"This is Chandra," Luxa explained, gesturing toward the teen just as she yawned.

Covering her mouth, Chandra turned red with embarrassment. "Nice to meet you all. Please excuse me, I must rest."

"You stay here," Ripred ordered Twitchtongue before the younger rat could slip out. "She can find her way to her room alone."

"We're leaving tomorrow," Luxa told Chandra. "Please be at the dock directly after breakfast. I'll have someone bring you some clothes and such for your pack."

Chandra almost protested, but another yawn sent her scurrying out the door, her face hot. _What a great first impression I must have made,_ she thought, angry with herself. The girl shook her head. "I'm overtired," she said aloud, turning into her room. "That's all."

The bath looked so inviting Chandra nearly chose to sink into it for a bit, but she didn't want to risk falling asleep in the warm water. Instead the girl collapsed on her bed and was immediately dead to the world.

***

Yawning, Chandra sat up, rubbing her eyes. She didn't feel like she'd gotten much sleep, but the torches in her room had been lit, so it had to be morning. Breakfast waited on a tray by the chair, but the girl wanted to bathe first. The queen's words came back to her, and she came wide awake.

"Right after breakfast?" Chandra groaned and rolled out of bed. Several changes of clothing sat on the chair next to her bed, and she grabbed the top one, and then ran for the bath, hoping she wasn't late.

Gulping down her breakfast while packing the clothes into the bag, Chandra didn't register the knocking sound coming from her doorway until the knocker called her name.

"Chandra? We must leave." It was Twitchtongue. Chandra swallowed the last of her meal, zipped her backpack and hurried out.

"Am I late?"

"Not yet." The rat took off down the hall and Chandra raced to catch up.

"I'm glad you're coming with me," she offered, when her friend slowed down.

Twitchtongue shuddered. "I wish I were not."

"Why?"

Embarrassed, the rat mumbled something. Thanks to her keen hearing, Chandra caught the words, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"You're afraid of the water?"

Ears flat, Twitchtongue gave a short nod. "The Waterway, at least. It is fast."

"Faster than you are at the moment," remarked Ripred, having snuck up behind them. "You better start walking instead of talking, you're late and Queen Luxa is about to have a temper tantrum."

"Because we're late?" Chandra's estimation of the queen dropped several points.

"No, because we have an unexpected visitor. One who could not have chosen a better time." Sarcasm dripped off the last sentence.

"Who?" Twitchtongue and Chandra asked in a chorus.

"Someone you haven't met," Ripred told the younger rat. "Though I believe our 'moon' has. Gregor's here and I think he is looking for _you_." He gave Chandra a pointed stare.

"Me?" Chandra shook her head. "No, I barely know him."

"Anyway, he's here and the queen is ready to have a fit, so get moving." Ripred turned and headed in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Chandra called after him. "Aren't you supposed to come with us?"

"Move it!" growled Ripred, then turned a corner. His racing footsteps faded into the distance.

"We better get to the dock," Chandra decided, frowning. "I hope Dr. Delinz didn't send Gregor down."

"The female who was taking care of you?"

Chandra snorted. "Imprisoning me, more like. Come on, I'll race you." Her wings spread and she took off down the corridor before the rat could protest.

"Chandra, wait!" Twitchtongue ran after her, grumbling about unfair competition.

Everyone who was going on the quest was gathered on the dock. There were also several guards on bats flying overhead. Gregor was standing by Luxa; both seemed to be arguing with Mareth, who had his arms folded and a heavy scowl on his face.

Deciding a quiet entrance would be best, Chandra landed, folding her wings, and walked toward the group separated by a small distance from the argument. The girl did her best to avoid looking at Fissin and the spider, whose name she couldn't remember.

Pluto - the only one whose name she could recall, other than the moth's - was the first to notice her arrival, and gave a short nod of welcome. "I hope to have the pleasure of flying with you before this journey ends," he purred.

"Greetings, give I, greetings." The cockroach waved its antennae.

The others voiced their welcome as well, even Fissin, though the moth was careful to keep on the other side of the group. Chandra's heart sped up when the moth spoke, but she clenched her hands and kept her eyes adverted. So far, her ploy seemed to be working.

"I _want to stay!_" Luxa all but shouted the words, and Chandra flinched, resisting the urge to cover her ears. Her companions seemed uneasy - Pluto, the mouse and the mole had their ears flat, the spider was crouched low and the cockroach's antennae were drooping.

Twitchtongue finally showed up. "What's going on?" he hissed. "Chandra, next time, wait for me."

"Sorry," whispered the girl. "Something's going on, but I'm not sure what."

"The queen wishes to stay now that Gregor has returned," Pluto said quietly. "Mareth stands firm against it. He is one of the few who would argue with the queen."

"Why?" Chandra asked. "I mean, why does Luxa want to stay?"

"They like each other," muttered Twitchtongue. "Ripred told me about it. He said it's-"

Chandra saw the older rat approaching too late to warn her friend.

"That's enough," Ripred interrupted. "Try to hold your tongue once in a while, Twitch."

"Sorry." The young rat bobbed his head, ears half-flat in embarrassment.

"I don't understand!" This time it was Gregor who was protesting. "I come down and you're sending me right back?"

"A war is coming and you are not a part of it, Gregor," Mareth said with an even voice. "It may be hard to believe, but you must go back. There is no place for you here now."

"Did Dr. Delinz send you?" Chandra demanded, stepping forward. Her face was red - she hated to interrupt people - but she had to know.

"Who?" Confusion was written across the teen's face.

Chandra shook her head. "Never mind."

"You mean, your mom?"

Bristling, the girl snapped, "She's _not_ my mother."

"She left two days after you disappeared. I haven't seen her around since then."

"Good." Chandra hesitated, and then directed a question toward Luxa. "When are we leaving?"

"Soon," the queen replied, sighing. "What if Nike went, instead of Pluto?" she asked Mareth. "Then you could go, and I would be safe here."

"I am not sure about that." Mareth's eyes darted to Gregor, then back to Luxa. "No. Nike is not yet queen, only a princess. You _will_ go, even if it is unwilling."

"I will knock you unconscious myself," Ripred agreed. "Everyone into the boats, we're wasting precious time. Gregor, go home."

"No," he protested, folding his arms. "I'm not leaving. I can fight."

"_Go home_," growled the rat, sticking his nose into Gregor's face. "I will _not_ repeat myself again. Instead I will leave you senseless outside the park entrance to the mercy of whoever happens to walk by."

The boy didn't argue, simply set his jaw and glared. Chandra couldn't help but admire his courage - staring down a six-foot rat whose sharp teeth less than three inches from your face took a lot of guts.

"Perhaps Gregor is meant to come instead of Twitch," Luxa suggested.

"No," Mareth protested, Chandra chiming in.

"If Twitch doesn't come, I don't, and that's final," the girl said, planting her hands on her hips. "And I'd like to see someone try to force me," she added, shooting Ripred a glare.

"I want to help," Gregor pleaded. "They'll be fine at home for a few weeks."

Luxa's eyes begged silently, but Mareth refused to give in, and at last the queen's shoulders slumped.

"All right," she said quietly. "Gregor, I must go. You may return to the Overland or stay in Regalia."

"I'll stay."

Mareth shook his head but did not protest. Instead he turned to the others. "Please begin boarding the boats. Be careful not to tip them. It matters not where you sit, though I would rather Chandra and Fissin were separate."  
_  
Thank you_, Chandra thought.

Slowly they began to get organized in the two boats. Chandra, the rats, the mole and Pluto got into one. The cockroach, spider, moth and mouse settled into the second. Luxa and Gregor stepped a few paces away, whispering together, then Luxa got into the second boat.

"Aurora comes," the queen said, and a moment later the golden bat flew into sight and came toward the second boat, landing carefully in it.

"Good voyage," Mareth said, untying the ropes that held the boats to the dock.

"Good-bye!" Chandra called, waving as the boats drew away from the dock. Luxa, she noticed, wore a forlorn expression as she watched the dock shrink into the distance.

After adjusting to the movement of the boat, Chandra noticed the large amount of food that had been packed. She mentioned it to Twitchtongue.

"We have to have guides in the darker parts of the Waterway," explained her friend, ears flattening. "The guides love food."

"They _worship_ food," Ripred corrected, "and they are lazy and love to argue."

"And they should be here any minute, so please do not make such comments," Luxa scolded from the other boat.

Chandra yawned and leaned against the side, surprised by how high it was. She couldn't see the water when she sat down. A soft blinking light grew steadily closer, but the girl's eyes closed and she fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Chandra was awakened not long after she fell asleep by a loud dispute.

"...won't unless she shines, too! My sister just wants to eat everything and do no work."

"No, _you_ are the one who wishes-"

"Shut up," Twitchtongue hissed, interrupting. "Chandra's sleeping. If you wake her up, I'll..."

"I'm up. It's okay, Twitch." Yawning, the girl sat up, surprised by a soft yellow glow. It was coming from the insects perched on the end of the boats. There were two, one for each vessel, and they were glaring at each other across the short expanse of water separating them.

"Oh, sorry, Chandra," Twitchtongue said.

"She is fine, Twitch, stop worrying," Ripred grumbled. "You've been griping about noise since we set off an hour ago."

"I slept for an hour?" asked Chandra, blinking.

"Yes," Pluto murmured. "I am sure, if you wish to sleep some more, our guests will not bother you again."

"I am sorry, for disturbing your rest," said the insect sitting on their boat. Chandra squinted. The creature was huge, like everything else in the Underland, but she was getting used to the size difference and had little trouble identifying it. It was a firefly.

"No problem. I would have woken earlier had I known we had guests." Chandra replied.

"Not exactly guests," the firefly corrected. "We're here strictly on business."

"They light the way for our boats." Ripred snorted.

"Be not rude," Luxa's voice came from the other boat. "We are grateful for your light, shiners."

"Not a problem," replied the one on Chandra's boat with a cheerful voice. "Overlander, I am Illumina."

"And I am Radiance," the other added.

"Lumi and Radi for short," continued Illumina, her light flickering for a second.

"I'm Chandra." The girl leaned against the side of the boat and closed her eyes. "And I'm exhausted. I think I could sleep for a week."

"Tomorrow you must begin practicing the Code," Luxa said. "Tonight you may sleep."

"Sounds good to me. Don't bother waking me to eat..." Her words trailed off as she fell back to slumber.

***

It was early when Chandra awoke, or perhaps late, for almost everyone else was asleep, except the shiners. Radi ignored the girl, but Lumi gave her a friendly nod.

"Good morning," whispered the shiner. "Everyone is still asleep. I hope they wake up soon, I am _exhausted_." She yawned for emphasis. "They told us you could fly, would you show us?"

Chandra hesitated, and then smiled. "Sure." Stepping carefully toward the end of the boat, she avoided the sleeping forms of Pluto and the two rats. The boat suddenly seemed too small, and she spread her wings, then took off without hesitating.

"Amazing," she heard the shiners gasp, then she had flown past the small circle of light, into the never-ending darkness. It was just her and water below and the cavern roof far above her head, too far for even her echolocation to find.

"Chandra!" Twitchtongue's voice rang out. "Come back, it's dangerous." There was worry in her friend's voice, and soon the others began to call as well.

The girl sighed and turned around, zipping toward the distant light. She landed gently in her boat, folding her wings at the same time.

Lumi was apologizing. "I was the one who asked to see her fly," she said. "I did not think of the danger."

"I chose to fly," Chandra said firmly, before anyone could be blamed. "If I'd gotten hurt, it would've been my fault."

Twitchtongue frowned at the girl. "Don't do that again, Chandra. It's _really_ dangerous out there. There are serpents-"

_Serpents?_Chandra's eyes widened, wondering what could make Twitchtongue so scared.

Ripred silenced the younger rat with a single look. "That's enough from you."

His ears flat, Twitchtongue sat on the deck close to Chandra and kept his mouth shut.

"It is time for breakfast," Luxa said. "Thank you, shiners, for watching through the night. I must ask one of you to stay awake to guide us, but the other may sleep for a while."

"You can sleep first, Radi," offered Lumi.

"Thank you, Lumi." Radi fell asleep immediately, snoring.

"Serpents?" Chandra whispered to Twitchtongue as they ate breakfast. "What do you mean by that?"

"Huge monsters that dwell at the bottom of the Waterway," the rat replied in a quiet voice. "They could crush these boats with the flick of a tail."

The girl gulped and turned her attention to her food. _This isn't safe_, she thought, biting her lip. _Maybe I shouldn't have come_.

"Do not worry, the serpents sleep this time of year," Pluto murmured. "They will not bother us."

Chandra had to be content with that.

***

The next three days passed uneventfully. The boats continued down the Waterway, sometimes moving swiftly, other times having to be pulled along by Aurora and Pluto. Chandra learned the Code from her companions, mainly Twitchtongue, Ripred and Pluto, with the mole occasionally chipping in, and those in the other boat calling across encouragement.

Chandra had always been interested in Morse Code, and picked up the Code with more ease than she had thought she would. She had trouble keeping the taps and clicks apart at first, but her keen hearing soon became a great advantage.

By the afternoon of the fourth day, Chandra could send rudimentary messages at the correct speed, only slowing now and then to think out a longer word. Twitchtongue and Pluto thought she was doing very well. Even Ripred admitted in a grudging tone that she had learned fast, for a human.

"We are nearing the entrance," Pluto announced that evening. "We should land before it is time to sleep."

"Will you need us after landfall?" Lumi asked with a slightly wistful tone.

Radi shuddered. "I am heading home the second you land. The Labyrinth is dangerous!"

Chandra closed her eyes and sighed. She'd learned in the last few days that shiners were by race a cowardly bunch, and Radi was a stereotype. Lumi, on the other hand, was completely different than most of her kind, actually showing what was almost bravery in offering her services after landfall.

"You may leave if you wish," Luxa said, her tone as stiff as it had been the first day the shiners had come. Twitchtongue had explained in a whisper one early morning that during the Prophecy of Bane, the hired shiners had deserted the boats, and Luxa did not trust any shiner.

"I'd like you to stay," Chandra said, opening her eyes. _Lumi, at least_, she added to herself. _I'm not so sure about Radi_. Lumi ate little compared to her greedy sister, and did twice the work, often going without sleep so Radi could rest. She never complained, either.

"Thank you, Overlander, I appreciate your thoughts on the subject," the queen said, sounding like she was speaking through gritted teeth.

_I bet you do_. Chandra rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject. "How much longer until we're on solid land again?"

"Perhaps an hour or two," Pluto said, ears swiveling back and forth. "I could scout ahead."

"That would be kind, but dangerous on your part," Luxa replied. "Do so if you wish."

The bat took off without needing a second bidding. "Come you, Overlander?"

"Sure." Chandra flew from the boat before anyone - especially Luxa and Twitchtongue - could protest. "How far are we going?"

"We shall see." The grey bat was silent until they had crossed a good distance, and then added, "I think we shall fly to the landing site."

"L-_Queen_Luxa will worry."

"Leave her to me." Pluto chuckled, a soft sound more like a purr than a laugh. "My sister made her promise to keep me safe."

"Your sister?"

"Nike." The bat did a back flip, and sobered. "She did not want me to go, but my mother sent me."

"Who didn't want you to go?"

"My sister, of course. To my mother I am only second-born, at best a warrior."

"You fight?"

"Hate to. I am a pacifist." Pluto laughed again, but the sound was hollow, devoid of humor. "Now I am on a quest to destroy a species. I did not expect my life to unfold like this."

"Destroy a species?" Chandra suddenly felt cold. "What do you mean?"

"They did not tell you?" The bat sounded surprised, almost worried. "Killing the cutter queen will ultimately destroy them all. There is only one queen."

"Won't more...hatch?"

"No."

Chandra took a deep breath to calm herself, but couldn't stop one protest bursting from her throat. "No! I won't! I refuse to..." The girl almost halted in midair, she was shaking so badly. "I can't kill them. I _can't_."

Images rose before her eyes, the countless white rooms, the few other children like her, coming and going, almost always dying within a few years of birth. Herself, already in her teens. Even if she lived to be a hundred, she wouldn't...couldn't... The idea was too horrible to even think. The Underland was such a magical place, but now Chandra's perception of it changed slightly. _Killers_, that was the unused name for the humans. At that moment, Chandra thought it was fitting.

"No," she said in a firm voice, coming back to the present. "I'm not going to help kill the cutter queen. I don't care how many people will die if I don't, it's not right."

"Overlander-"

"Tell Luxa that for me." Chandra stretched her wings out to their full extent and zipped off, using echolocation to steer herself. Pluto was left behind, fluttering in circles as he figured out what to do. He glanced after the girl one last time, came to a decision, then whirled around and raced back to the boat. It was time to get some help.

***

"The Overlander flew off," Luxa repeated, scowling at the grey bat, though she knew it wasn't his fault. "I should have guessed this would happen. Why did you not stop her?"

"She went too quickly." Pluto bowed his head, not in respect, but in regret about not going after the human instead of returning to the boat.

"Then go after her. She is needed to complete the quest, the prophecy foretold it."

"Perhaps the prophecy-"

"Do you know of any other 'flying moon'?" snapped Luxa. "Go! Aurora , help him search. If she is lost, all is doomed."

"I will."

The bats flew into the darkness, vanishing almost immediately.

"Perhaps I should help," Lumi offered.

"You just want to leave me with all the work," grumbled Radi. "Do not think I cannot see through your plan!"

"That is enough." Lumi stood poised at the edge of the boat. "Radi, you do your duty until I get back-"

"But-"

"And you can have half my dinner."

"Of course I will do my duty!" Radi's light shown even brighter as her sister took off after the bats. "Do not forget, Lumi."

"I will not."

"If she dies," Radi muttered, "I want her share of supper."

Twitchtongue ground his teeth together, and the shiner fell silent.

"No one eats until they return," Luxa decreed.

Ripred groaned under his breath as Radi began to complain.

"What if they do not return? I will die of starvation. I insist that you feed me at once, I am starving already."

Birracavl raised his head from where it had rested on his large digging claws. The mole had spoken rarely during the trip, spending most of the time asleep.

"Be quiet," he said, and the two words, spoken quietly, were enough to silence the shiner completely, for within them rang a solemn warning.

***

Chandra discovered that land was not as far away as it had been thought to be. Rock walls appeared in front of her, grey on the grey background, occasionally glowing soft red.

"Almost there," she whispered, slowing a bit now that the finish line was in sight. The previously injured wing ached, but Chandra ignored the pain for the time being and concentrated on finding a good place to land.

Something caught her attention, a spur of rock sticking out and up from the wall. She headed for it, intending to land while she scouted for an opening, then realized the spur itself marked the opening of a cave.

"Yes!" Chandra performed a mental dance of victory as she landed on the spur, just outside the cave. Breathing heavily, she listened for any movement inside. There was nothing, so the girl jumped down and took a step forward. If anything, the cave was even darker than it was outside.

"Who dares disturb my peace?"

Chandra's heart jumped into her throat at the rasping sound. She turned to flee, and something heavy knocked her down, then pressed on her back. The horrible smell of rotting meat filled her nostrils as the words were repeated, so loud and close that she almost cried out, biting her lip against the pain in her ears.

"Who dares disturb my peace?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Not much to say today, except...**

**Many thanks to my wonderful beta Blood Red Topaz. ^.^**

**Thanks to you for reading PotM. I hope you enjoy reading as much I enjoy writing it.**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Lumi panted as she darted after the bats. "Wait for me!" the shiner called, worried she'd lose them and get lost in the never-ending darkness.

Aurora and Pluto slowed their pace, allowing the shiner to catch up. Neither spoke, and Lumi stayed silent, too, as they searched.

***

"Who are you?" repeated the voice for the third time.

Gasping, Chandra tried to squeeze out her name, but her throat was constricted with fear and there was a heavy weight on her chest, making it difficult to breath, much less talk. "Cha..." she wheezed." Chan...dra."

"Shashandra? A strange name. Where do you come from?"

The girl shook her head and pushed against the weight on her chest with her hands. It was a foot of some kind, covered with soft scales and bearing sharp talons. Whoever or whatever it was could probably rip her apart without much effort. Her ribs were already approaching the breaking point.

"I will let you up, but do not run."

Chandra managed a weak nod, and the weight lifted away. For a moment she was in danger of hyperventilating as she sucked air back into her empty lungs, then her breathing quieted and the girl sat up, finally able to use echolocation to see her captor.

As the image grew in her mind, she pulled away with a cry of fright. It was an owl standing in front of her, larger even than the Underland bats, with a sharp beak and long talons. It glowed a demonic red in her mind.

"I'm Chandra," she managed to say, her voice shaking. _The glow's its body heat, nothing else_, she reminded herself, but her nerves were not listening to reason. Every nerve in her body was screaming for her to flee, but her wings hurt, both of them now. She wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to fly, and there was no way she could outrun the creature on foot.

"Are you killer or flyer?" the owl inquired. "Your scent is strange."

_Killer..._ Chandra gulped. _I guess this...creature doesn't like humans, and whatever it is, it's big enough to kill me if it wants._ "A b-bit of both."

"Not possible."

"Yes it is! Where I come from, scientists can graft different DNA together. They created me. I can fly and..." The girl covered her mouth to stop her babbling. _Maybe revealing what I can do isn't such a good idea._

"Where you come from?" the owl suddenly sounded interested. "You mean you're from the Overland?"

"Yeah, that's where I lived most of my life, but... I like the Underland better."

"How could you? The darkness, the dampness, the constant battle between life and death." The owl's voice became dreamy. "To fly beneath the moon and stars; that would be heaven!"

"How do you know?" Chandra was confused. Hardly any Underlanders seemed to know much - if anything - about the world above.

"Stories are passed down from ancestor to descendant. I am the last of my kind, the last hooter in the Underland, though most call me the Whisperer nowadays, since I can project my voice to make it seem as though the very walls are speaking." Towards the end of the hooter's speech, his voice changed and seemed to come from all sides.

"That's...wonderful." A bell was ringing in her head, but Chandra couldn't place the reason why.

"In the Overland, you can fly as far as the eye can see and never meet a wall, correct?"

"Yes. I mean, there are mountains and stuff, but no walls. Not big enough that you can't fly over them, except maybe the Great Wall, but that's on the other side of the world..." _Shut it_, Chandra told herself. _I'm babbling again!_ "Um, I'm Chandra, nice to meet you. You're a...hooter?"

"Yes. Not as large as some of my kin, but large enough." The owl spread its wings for a moment, showing off its size.

_All feathers, though,_ thought the girl, smiling. _Dump him in the river and he'd be about my size._ "What's your name?" _Please don't let it be an unpronounceable one._

"Tyn."

"Tine? Like a fork tine?" Chandra could not resist laughing. The owl opened its beak and hissed at her. She sobered immediately and apologized.

"Apology accepted," Tyn replied, not in the best of graces. "Tyn is short for Tiny, because of my size. It was also my great-great-great-great maternal grandfather's name."

_Meaning the grandfather of your mother's father,_ Chandra translated in her mind. _I think... Wait a minute!_ The ringing bell's message finally came through._ Did he say _Whisperer_ before?_ "You said you're the Whisperer?"

"Yes, they call me that."

The girl chose not to ask who 'they' was, suspecting there would be another long-winded speech. "That's awesome!" Chandra was ready to hug Tyn, though she doubted the hooter would be pleased with such a gesture. "I've been-I mean, _we_ have been searching for you."

"'We'?"

"I was with some other people, but I got lost." The girl couldn't even remember why she'd flown off in a huff. "I'm sure they're right behind me. Anyway, there's prophecy and it says the Whisperer knows the way!"

"It does, huh?" Tyn sounded, at best, skeptical.

"It does. It also calls me the flying moon."

"What is this way I am supposed to know?"

"Where the ant-the _cutter_queen is. Fissin knows how to kill her, and we have to do it before the cutters attack Regalia." _Oh, yes, that's why I left. They're planning genocide. Maybe Tyn could convince them otherwise?_

"A few less killers in the world, good," Tyn turned around. "Seeing as you are part flyer, I will let you go, but do not come back here, or I will kill you." The threat was spoken so casually Chandra was sure he meant it.

"But..." The girl slumped on the ground, dejected. She'd failed to talk the owl into helping, her wings hurt too much to fly, and the others were probably still hours away. _I can't just wait for them without at least _trying. "Tyn! You said you wanted to enter the Overland?"

The hooter paused, then turned its head around slowly and gave a short nod.

"I'll show you how to get to the Overland, but you have to help stop the cutters first, without killing them." Chandra hated to lie, but she didn't have a choice. Without the Whisperer, she was sure Luxa would order the boats to turn around and head back. However, she was not about to let her old home be invaded by a huge owl, even though it was only one.

"You want to stop the cutters without destroying them?" Tyn hooted in disbelief. "But...agreed. We will fly to your friends so they do not have to waste time getting here. The cutters' colony is in the opposite direction."

Chandra grimaced. "I can't fly right now."

"Why _not?_"

"I think you hurt my wings when you knocked me down."

"Then you will have to ride on my back." Tyn sounded disgusted. "Every minute we waste is another I must spend down here in this terrible place."

Chandra gulped. She didn't mind flying when it was on her own wing power, but planes were one of her least favorite ways to move from one place to another, and she doubted she was going to like flying on a bird any better. _I don't have a choice, though, do I? The cutters are getting closer to Regalia any moment._

"If you drop me," she warned, climbing onto Tyn's back, "I'm going to kill you."

The hooter made a low hooting noise - laughter, the girl supposed. "You would drown in the Waterway. Only the serpents can survive in that river."

"I'd haunt you, then," muttered Chandra, hissing through her teeth as the owl took off.

"Is something wrong?" Tyn asked, turning his head around without slowing.

_Yes,_ thought the girl, swallowing hard. _The fact you can look me in the face and fly at the same time._ "I, um, just... I'm not used to flying this way." She could feel the air change as they left the cave, and tried to ignore the sound of rushing water far below.

"Humans," the hooter grumbled. "Always complaining."

_At least he's using the term 'humans' now,_ Chandra told herself, biting back a sharp retort at the insult. _But I'm _not_ always complaining!_

"What is that?" The owl stopped and hovered in the air for a moment. Chandra managed to crane her neck to the left enough so she could see what had caught Tyn's attention.

A soft, blinking light was headed their way.

"It's Lumi, it has to be!" The girl was delighted that the shiner had come after her. "She's one of the shiners working for Lu-us."

"A shiner?" The hooter couldn't believe his ears. "You managed to coax a _shiner_ this close to the Labyrinth?"

"Lumi's not like other shiners, she's brave!" Chandra defended, crossing her arms.

"I will believe _that_ when I see it," the hooter replied cynically.

Chandra ground her teeth, but didn't argue. Tyn could always dump her in the Waterway.


	17. Chapter 17

**It's been over a month since I last updated, I'm sorry!  
I had a serious case of writer's block. :(  
But it appears to be gone now.  
Finally.**

**Many thanks to my beta, Mep, she made this chapter look much better than its first draft!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. ^.^**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Two days later, Chandra was sick of it all**; **sick of the monotonous diet of travel bread and dried meat. Sick of Tyn's constant bickering with Luxa about his frequent use of the term 'killers'. Sick of the shiners' arguments - Lumi had convinced Radi to continue with them, but her weaker sister constantly squabbled with her about the decision, although both shiners agreed that finding their way home alone would be difficult. Tyn had led them on a twisted route through half-flooded tunnels that were underwater during high tide.

It was just after the midday meal, and Radi was still nibbling on a bread crust. Food was one reason Luxa had been reluctant to take the shiners further, though Lumi had been positively heroic, eating as little as possible, mostly fish the bats caught. Her sister, however**,** insisted on bread and meat. When asked, Radi had replied that fish was a 'common' food, and the only creature of the water she'd even think of eating was the sucker.

Chandra had inquired what a sucker was, and deduced from the given information that it was similar to a giant squid. Not a creature she wanted to meet, much less try to eat.

"We're almost there," Tyn announced, flying back from a short scout ahead.

"How much further?" Luxa asked.

"The shortcut I mentioned earlier is clear, so we can go that way and be there within an hour."

Chandra breathed a sigh of relief. "Can I fly the rest of the way?"

"No, you must conserve your strength," replied Luxa, who was already polishing her sword. "If you are restless, clean your weapons."

_Weapon_, Chandra corrected the other girl in her mind. She didn't dare say it aloud; Luxa's temper was already frayed too far.

Twitchtongue moved to the prow of the boat, straining to see over the high sides. "I can't see anything," he said, disappointed.

"Did you expect the cutters to set out a welcome mat?" Ripred sneered. "A torch trail leading to their nest?"

"Hill," said Chandra before she could stop herself. "Cutters are ants and ants live in anthills."

"Do not argue with me right now, Overlander."

The girl opened her mouth, then shut it and took off. "I won't go far," she called over her shoulder before going after Tyn, who had flown ahead again.

"Chandra," Twitchtongue protested. "Don't..." The young rat slumped in the boat, ears drooping. "Why does she always run off like that?"

"She's got problems you wouldn't understand," Ripred answered, his voice almost kind. "However, it would be a bad thing if we lost the 'flying moon'." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he used the prophecy's words. "Perhaps a flyer could go after her?"

"...not fair!" Chandra's voice cried from ahead. She came racing back toward the boat, Tyn right behind. The hooter was hissing with frustration.

"Stay in the boat, its dangerous flying around alone," he scolded.

Chandra landed in her boat, turned around and glared at the hooter, her arms folded and grey eyes blazing. "I can take care of myself!"

"Stay in the boat." Tyn flipped around and flew off again.

"Listen to your elders," Ripred ordered. "And _stay in the boat_."

"Suck eggs," muttered the girl, wanting to hit something or someone, even though a fight was the last thing this quest needed.

"Calm down, Chandra," Lumi said, her voice comforting as she instructed, "Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and imagine a nice place."

_Easy for you to say._ It took Chandra a moment to think of a nice place, but finally she closed her eyes and followed the shiner's directions, imagining she was sitting in the sunshine on a park bench, watching birds fly about and squirrels collect nuts. A soft wind blew her hair. The girl smiled and relaxed, then her daydream was shattered as Tyn returned.

"From here on, be very quiet," the hooter warned. "We are entering cutter territory."

"Understood," Luxa said, and gave a warning glare to the others in her boat. Chandra could feel the glare even though she was in the other boat, and shivered; an action that got her a worried look from Twitchtongue. The girl shook her head and smiled with bravado she didn't feel, then turned her attention to the darkness ahead.

Sometimes swiftly, sometimes slowly, the boats continued floating on the current. Each minute seemed like forever for Chandra, now that their destination was so close. Without the distraction of conversation, the girl was left to her own thoughts, and there was little to be cheerful about. Eventually she dozed off.

***

"Grab that rope!"

"I'm slipping..."

"Hold on..."

"Turn right!"

"Left, now!"

"Watch that rock!"

The shouts and violent rocking of her boat brought Chandra back from her dreamland. Water was spilling over the sides into the boat as it listed to one side.

"Overlander, fly!" someone yelled, and the girl's wings half-spread before a wall of water came from nowhere and crashed down, bringing darkness.

***

"Gnawer all right be?"

Opening his eyes, Twitchtongue groaned - he felt like a boulder had been dropped on his head. "I have felt better. Where is Chandra? Is she all right? What about yourself? Where are the others?"

"I fine am. All lost are. You I find. We now search." The mole started sniffing the rocky ground while the rat got to his paws. Everything ached, and Twitchtongue was too tired to chatter as he usually did, so it was in silence that the two creatures followed a faint trace of flyer.

The scent lead them to Pluto, Epoch, Aurora, Luxa and Vurox, all of whom had grouped together after reaching shore. A lone torch gave them light. The queen had a gash on her forehead and she was tying a bandage Vurox had spun over the wound when the rat and mole approached.

"Seen you the Overlander?" Luxa asked immediately.

Twitchtongue's ears drooped. "No."

Aurora broke the silence that followed."Ripred comes," she announced, tilting her head to the left. "I hear him."

Pluto's ears swiveled and he nodded. "The nibbler is with him."

"Then it is only the shiners, the flutterfly and the Overlander who are missing." Luxa scowled. "We must find them."

"What about Tyn?" Twitchtongue inquired.

"He is searching for salvageable supplies."

"There was little left." The hooter swooped down, dropping the items he held in his claws before landing nearby. "I collected everything I could carry."

"I am starving! I protest this treatment!"

"Be quiet, Radi."

"I also found the shiners," Tyn added unnecessarily.

Luxa forced a smile on her face. "It is good to see you well," she told the sisters. "How fare you?"

"I am fine," Lumi replied, her light flickering as she landed on the rock. "Where is Chandra?"

"At the moment she is lost. We need to rest, then we will search for her."

"I could look now," Lumi offered.

"Well, _I_ am sleeping!" Radi announced pompously. "And I expect something to eat when I awake." Her light went out when she closed her eyes.

"I will catch some fish," Pluto said, spreading his wings despite his exhaustion.

"No, sleep first. We can find food later. Thank you for your help, Tyn," Luxa said.

"Anything to get this mission done. I do not like this part of the tunnels."

"Did you know they would flood like that?" inquired the queen.

"I knew there was a possibility."

"Are there any other dangers you have failed to mention? I hope you will let us know of them before they happen." Luxa asked, her voice dripping with acid.

"The flooding is the major one, and it shouldn't have happened - it's not the time for it. That is worrying."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a chance that the flood was created on purpose, and since almost everyone has rejoined the group, there's an even greater chance that those who have not appeared may have been captured." Tyn explained, clicking his beak.

"The cutters?"

"Or worse. Stingers and Slimers live here and there. There are others you would not know of but are very dangerous. Some you cannot even communicate with." Tyn's feathers fluffed out, making him look twice as big. "Some you could not imagine."

"I have been hearing strange sounds since we entered this tunnel," Aurora said softly.

Silence fell again.

"Well, aren't we a cheerful lot,"Ripred said, stretching. "We better get some sleep. Douse that fire, last thing we need is a horde of cutters descending upon us. I will take first watch with Twitchtongue."

Luxa emptied a waterskin over the fire, as there was no dirt to smother it with. Everyone found a comfortable spot to rest and tried to sleep, except for the two rats.

"Do you think she's all right?" Twitchtongue asked in a low voice, once the rustling and general movement had quieted.

"From what I have seen, Overlanders tend to be a tough lot to kill off. I would not worry too much."

"She's not a rager like Gregor!"

"Gregor is a special case, and I was not speaking of him. You were not alive when his mother was living in the palace. Believe me, there were times I would have rather fought than face that human," replied Ripred.

"Do you think I might meet Gregor someday?"

Ripred took a long time to answer. "Not likely. She forbids her children to ever come here again after the last prophecy. Now be quiet, we are supposed to be keeping watch, not chattering."

"Yes, Ripred." Twitchtongue settled down and pricked up his ears, which twitched back and forth, listening for anything unusual, perhaps even the sound of his friend's wingbeats.

Rushing water and the quiet breathing of his fellow travelers was the only thing that met his ears.


	18. Chapter 18

**Won NaNoWriMo with 105k. Not much else happening in my life...**

**As always, thanks to my wonderful beta Mep!**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Movement was the first thing Chandra noticed, a gentle rocking back and forth. _I'm in the boat_, she thought, her muscles relaxing. _Someone must have dragged me out of the water, after the boats tipped._

Strange; she didn't remember the bottom of the boat being so rigid. Before when she was on it, the floor had given a little whenever she moved. Twitchtongue had explained that the boat sides were made of a double layer of fish skin. It made travel through the water easier.

_It shouldn't be so hard_. Chandra opened her eyes a crack, then all the way at once. They met utter darkness, and she was scared enough to let out a small squeak, which came back bringing with it her echovision. The girl closed her eyes and let out a deep breath as the world around her grew out of the darkness.

A second later she inhaled sharply and jerked against the bonds holding her down - thick vines she had no hope of breaking. Something large and round with two long sticks was bobbing not three inches from her face. Chandra turned her head._ If I don't look at it, maybe it will disappear_. There was another, identical shape on the other side, perhaps a little smaller but otherwise the same. The girl let out a scream.

"Overlander, it is being best to staying quiet," came a whisper of a voice from up ahead.

"Fissin? Is that you?" Chandra was grateful to hear a familiar voice, even if it came from a creature who she had attacked, unprovoked. "Are the others here?"

"The waves were washing them down a different path," the moth replied. "I am not seeing them any longer. Coming they will be, for still we are heading toward the goal."

"The ant hill?"

"Thinking you are, Overlander. Indeed, the cutters are taking us to their queen."

Chandra groaned. "That's not good." Now that she knew who her captors were, she could see that the alien shapes were actually the ants walking on either side of the one she lay on top of. "Did they tie you down? Could you escape and tell the others?"

"The ropes are damaging to my wings. I fear never flying again."

The girl shifted, lying on her back was the worst position for her. Every movement made her wings ache. "I'm in the same trouble. What do you suppose they're going to do with us?"

After a long pause, the moth said, "I am knowing not what they are planning, but I am thinking it is being not good."

_Well that really helps_. Chandra thought sarcastically. She stopped wriggling and began tugging gently at the bonds of one hand.

"Can the cutters understand us?"

"They may be knowing the human speech, but I am knowing not whether they are knowing."

_That's helpful, too_. "If you get a chance, run for it, okay? They probably have traps set for the others."

"I will be flying if they are giving me a chance."

"Same here." The vine bonds were too tight and trying to pull free only seemed to tighten them. Chandra gave up when her fingers began to grow numb, turning her concentration on not panicking.

_Don't think about being trapped by giant ants who could tear you to shreds in an instant. Don't think about the queen you're going to meet that you probably won't stand the chance of a snowball in hell of being able to communicate with. And definitely don't think about the fact that the only friendly creature in your current company is a huge moth you've already tried to eat once._

Something stirred inside her at the last thought, and Chandra swallowed, feeling nauseous. _Maybe I should try to sleep. I almost wish this was a bad dream_.

Her ride stopped at that moment, and a soft susurrus filled the air. From what Chandra could see with her echovision, all the ants were rubbing their antennae together. The noise grew until it was at an uncomfortable level, then faded away.

"Can you understand them, Fissin?" Chandra called, stomach twisting. For some reason, the sound made her feel concerned, and her teeth ached a bit, though she wasn't sure the latter was due to the cutters' noise. There was a slight taste of blood in her mouth; she'd probably knocked her jaw on something.

"I am listening but am not understanding much. I am thinking they are singing a praising to their queen."

"They're singing?" It didn't sound like any song she'd ever heard. _Not that I've had much experience with other species' musical tastes_, she reminded herself.

"Yes." Fissin's voice sounded fainter than before, and Chandra bit her lip.

"Stay with me, Fissin, okay? Don't give up."

"Not giving up, Overlander, I am tiring. It is sleeping that I am needing and not finding." A pause, then, "Know you singings?"

"You mean songs?" Chandra sighed. "Not really. Why?"

"Flutterflies are keeping their strength by singings."

"I know one song. I learned it a long time ago." The girl closed her eyes, brow furrowing as she tried to recall the words. Only a few lines came to her. "Do you know what lullabies are?"

"They are singings?"

"Yes, songs that a mother sings for her children." Chandra hummed a few notes, and then began to sing softly, her voice faltering a first, but growing stronger as the words returned from a forgotten memory.

_Hush a bye_

_Don't you cry_

_Dream and sleep, my little baby_

_Find you will_

_Deep and still_

_Green and sweet, a gentle meadow_

_Here and there_

_Stop and stare_

_See the beauty of the wild_

_Blacks and bays_

_Dapples and greys_

_All the pretty little horses..._

"A good singing it is," the moth said as Chandra's voice trailed off.

The girl opened her mouth to reply when a sudden loud hum disrupted her train of thought. The cutters were making a rhythmic noise that closely matched the harmony of the lullaby.

"The cutters are liking your singing," Fissin said, awed. "Overlander, continue."

Chandra wet her dry lips and began the song again. The hum never raised enough to drown out her soft voice; rather, it ebbed and flowed around her words, creating a sound beautiful enough to make tears come to her eyes.

At last her throat became too dry for her to sing without croaking every few words, and the girl fell silent, soon drifting off in an uneasy slumber. The hum continued, muted, but there.

***

"Hear that?" Ripred asked, head cocked as he stopped walking. The others paused as well, straining ears to catch the elusive noise.

Twitchtongue flicked his ears. "Sounds like a..." he trailed off, ears flattening." I am not sure. What is it, Ripred?"  
"A human. Singing, by the sound of it. Your highness, we have found the Overlander!"

"Chandra?"

Ripred's paw halted the younger rat in his tracks. "Dashing headlong into danger will not save your friend, Twitch. We need to proceed with caution."

"But the cutters will capture her-"

"Perhaps they already have. Consider this. She did not seem happy about wiping out a species."

"Are you saying she would betray us?" Twitchtongue's voice rose sharply with indignation.

"Quiet down," Tyn's hiss interrupted the escalating argument. "This next part will be dangerous enough without you two disturbing the swords that fall."

"Explain yourself, hooter," Luxa demanded.

In reply, the owl pointed a wing upwards. Just barely visible was the ceiling, from which long, thin stalactites hung, quivering gently. The dim glow of the torch carried by Luxa made the mineral stone glow iridescent.

"Beautiful," Pluto breathed, "but dangerous."

"Silence," ordered the queen, and they crept forward, wincing at every dislodged pebble that clattered across the rock floor.

The music that had caught the rats' attention faded to a low, unearthly sound that grew gradually louder as the group moved down the passageway.

"That is not Chandra's voice," murmured Twitchtongue. A single glare from Ripred silenced him for the rest of the journey through the cave.

Tyn led the group further away from the river tunnels they had traveled in, deeper into the caves he knew well. Some had walls black as night that sparkled under the torch's light; others were lit by the eerie glow of deep pools. Pluto muttered several times about returning with a research team, and even asked the hooter if he would mind leading an expedition. Tyn gave the flyer an unreadable look and did not reply.

Several hours after the strange sound had begun, Tyn called a halt.

"We will rest here tonight. No fire. Douse your torch in the pool, Queen Luxa. The cutters live not far from here; we have penetrated their first defense, the caves. Tomorrow we will venture into patrolled territory."

"Very well," the queen said, dipping the end of her torch into the water. With a soft hiss, the flame went out. Only the fluorescence of the pool kept the thick darkness at bay while the group spread out a bit to eat a small supper, then sleep.

"We will take first watch," Ripred said, volunteering himself and Twitchtongue as he had the night before.

Sleep came on swift wings that night. The gentle hum soothed everyone into a gentle doze, even dulling the rats' senses enough that they did not notice the shadows in the darkness until it was too late.


	19. Chapter 19

**Not much to say today... Though I'm sorry for taking so long to update!**

**As always, thanks to Meps for her awesome beta-ing skills and thank you for your wonderful reviews.**

**_____________________________________________________________________________  
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Chapter Nineteen

"You should be waking, Overlander."

Chandra's eyes cracked open. Fissin's face filled her vision, antennae waving gently, looking like soft feathers. The flutterfly had never seemed so big before. Eyes widening, the girl jerked back, a squeak emitting from her mouth.

"Sorry, I am scaring you."

"No, it's okay, you just startled me." Chandra assured him, her heartbeat slowing to its normal that she was lying on rock, not a giant ant's back, she sat up and rubbed the red marks on her arms made by the vine bindings, which had, like the ants, vanished. "Where are we?"

"Waiting for the queen's verdict. She will be deciding our fates."

Chandra gulped. "That sounds ominous."

"We should be preparing for death."

"They're going to kill us?" Chandra gasped, heart racing again.

" Normal for prisoners to be dying at the jaws of these."

The girl's sleep-fogged brain took a moment to decode Fissin's words. "The ants – sorry, cutters, I mean, they always kill their prisoners?"

Fissin bowed his head, wings drooping. "I have been failing my queen."

Chandra felt a twinge of sympathy for the flutterfly. "It's not your fault we got captured." _Though it might be mine_. Chandra got to her feet, taking a few experimental steps before sighing in relief. Her leg muscles still worked, despite their soreness. Her wings she tried not to think about, though every step made her wince with pain. Her shirt had done little to protect the delicate bones and she doubted she would be able to fly for several weeks.

"You are hurting?"

"I'll be fine." Chandra turned in a circle. They were in a small cavern with no discernable entrance. The rocks were glowing gently, and she went to one wall, touching the cold stone with a single finger. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Lighting stones are common where I am living," Fissin murmured. "Not in Regalia."

"It's pretty, but this is still a prison." The girl scowled and kicked the wall. "Let us out!"

"Overlander, waiting patiently would be best."

"I'm sick of being locked up," spat Chandra, feeling rage swell up from a forgotten place deep within her. "My entire life, I've been locked up and I'm _sick of it_." She kicked the wall again, then sank to the floor, ready to cry. _This isn't fair, I don't want to die!_

"The others will be rescuing us, I am thinking."

"They probably drowned." Chandra started pacing around the cave, ignoring her aching wings. "Or maybe they've headed back to Regalia. There's no point continuing without their 'flying moon', after all." She kicked the wall again, then slumped to the ground and buried her face in her hands. "I hate this. I ran away because I didn't want to be locked up any longer and now..." The word trailed off in a high-pitched wail.

Fissin's antennae twitched at the noise level, but the flutterfly remained silent, deciding to let the girl calm herself down. Interference might lead to an attack, and this time, Ripred would not be there to stop the Overlander before she went too far. Closing his eyes, Fissin let his wings flop into their resting position, then bowed his head, falling into a light doze.

Chandra began pacing once more and continued her rant, growing louder with each word, until the screaming wore out her voice and the girl sank to her knees, rubbing her sore throat. Dry-mouthed, she wished for water, but the last she'd seen of the refreshing liquid had been earlier that day, during her dip in the Waterway. If that had happened earlier, or was it already the next day? Or even later? Not for the first time, Chandra wished for a watch. She'd always relied partly on her internal clock to tell her what time it was, but without the sun's guidance and regular meals, the girl had no idea whether it was even day or night.

"Fissin?" she whispered, the word rasping in her mouth. "Fissin?" Chandra sat back and sighed, realizing that the flutterfly had fallen asleep. _I hope I didn't disturb him, one of us might as well get some rest_.

"Overlander? You are calling my name?"

"Sorry, Fissin, I didn't mean to wake you." Chandra coughed, covering her mouth, then shook her head at the flutterfly's worried look. "I'm okay. Just need a drink."

"The cutters are not giving us water, which is worrying me," admitted Fissin. "But do not be thinking of such things. You should be sleeping now."

"No thanks," Chandra said, shaking her head. "I'm getting out of here."

"A large rock is blocking the opening."

"Well, I'll have to move it." Chandra looked around, her frown deepening."Where _is_ the opening?"

Fissin's head tilted back and Chandra looked at the ceiling, several feet above her, even if she stretched. "They put us in a pit?" she guessed, leaning back so she could see better. The only crack in the ceiling ran around the edge where it met the walls. "Wait. The entire ceiling is the entrance? Covered by one big rock?"

"Escaping is not happening, Overlander."

"There's got to be another way out. How does air get in here? They wouldn't want us to suffocate, would they?"

"Eating long dead food is being bad for health. Air is coming in." Fissin's antennae quivered as he held them stiff. "Coming in there," he added, pointing one leg at the wall near Chandra.

A group of small holes perforated the rock in a patch Chandra could cover with her hand. Air brushed against her palm and she let her arm drop. She knelt, trying to peer down one of the holes, one eye shut to prevent overlapping images.

"I don't see anything," she sighed, pulling away from the wall. "How did they make such small holes?"

"Cutters are having more mysterious ways than humans. They are finding ways to be doing anything they are wishing."

Chandra covered her ears. "Do you have to speak like that?"

"What is being wrong with the way I am speaking, Overlander?"

"It's strange."

"As I am hearing, you are the one speaking strange, Overlander."

"Call me Chandra, Fissin, or I'll start calling you Ambassador Flutterfly."

"From now on I am calling you Chandra. Ambassador Flutterfly is making me be sounding old."

The girl smiled at that. "In flutterfly terms, how old _are_ you?"

"I am being very young, hatching from the cocoon not long ago."

"Just like moths. You're caterpillars, right, and then spin cocoons?"

"Inchlings, we be calling our children."

"Inchlings." Chandra stored the odd word away with the other ones she had come across in the Underland. "Fissin?"

"Yes, Overlander?"

"Why did the cutters imprison us? Wouldn't they rather talk? Do they _want_ a war? It doesn't make any sense."

"Cutters are being difficult to be talking with, as they are not speaking the same language."

"I could understand them not knowing English – I mean, the human language, but you can't talk with them in their language? I thought that flutterflies-"

"We are being the ones who can be communicating a little with the cutters."

"But only a little." Chandra stood and walked around the cave again. "What do the cutters want?"

"I am not knowing. What are you wanting, Chandra?"

The girl shrugged. "It doesn't matter, we're stuck in here, and we're probably going to die." She squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears, then slammed a fist against the nearest wall. "I've got to get out of this place."

Fissin's antennae went stiff, and then began quivering. "Something is approaching."

Chandra cocked her head, cupping a hand around one ear, but couldn't hear anything. _Is he feeling vibrations in the stone?_ Scraping noises from the ceiling startled the girl and she pressed her back against the nearest wall, terrified that they would be crushed should the rock overhead slip.

Humming drifted down through the small crack that slowly widened until Chandra could hear the melody clearly. "It's the lullaby!"

"The singing, Overlander, may be saving our lives," murmured Fissin.

"You want me to sing?" Chandra licked her dry lips. "I need a drink before I can do much singing."

"Must be singing without drinking now."

The girl sighed, but followed the flutterfly's orders, her quiet, raspy voice joining the cutters'. When the opening was large enough to fly through, Chandra squeezed her hands into fists and kept singing, trying not to think about spreading her wings and attempting an escape – it would be useless.

A cutter's head appeared in the crack. It looked from the flutterfly to the human, then beckoned with a foreleg before stepping back. Chandra flinched as something dropped into the small cave, but it was only a length of rope.

"You are to be climbing this," Fissin said, giving the girl a slight nudge toward the rope.

Chandra gulped, stopping mid-word. "No thanks."

"You are not having a choice, Overlander."

_ Can this get any worse?_ Chandra wondered, climbing hand over hand up the rope, most of her muscles complaining with every move, those that didn't hurt beginning to by the time she reached the opening. Shiny black claws snagged her jacket and dragged the girl out. Fissin flew up and landed beside her, folding his wings and bowing his head to the nearest cutter. He made a noise midway between a purr and a hiss.

The cutter didn't answer. Continuing to hum the lullaby, it and its companions guided their prisoner through several long tunnels to a large open cave that glowed white. Chandra shielded her eyes against the glare, so much stronger than the dim light in their prison. Squinting, she could make out several groups of cutters and one huge cutter sitting in the middle of the cave on a raised platform of rock. _That must be the queen._ A second later she forgot her predicament as a red blur shot out of the white, shouting her name.

"Chandra!"

The girl sat up, having been knocked down by her friend's overenthusiastic pounce. "Ouch! Twitch, what are you doing here? Where are the others? Are they coming to-" Chandra's voice trailed off. Her eyes had finally adjusted and now she could see the cutters approaching, hissing under their breath as they glared at the rat crouched beside her. Twitchtongue was in trouble, and worse than that, she could now see a very familiar group surrounded by cutter guards. Ripred, Luxa, Pluto and the others, all captured just like Fissin and she had been.

"Oh, no," she breathed.

Things had just gotten worse.

Much worse.


	20. Chapter 20

**Did not expect this chapter to take so long... But I've been really busy, school-wise.**

**Chapter Twenty One is finished, however, and getting sent to my beta today, so the next update should be in less than a month!**

**Thanks as always for reviewing, I appreciate your comments and criticism.**

**A special thanks to my beta, Mep, for being awesome and not minding when I make really stupid mistakes...  
Like changing the name of an entire species by accident!  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

"Overlander, is that you?" Luxa called, unable to hide her relief. "We thought you lost."

"I'm fine," replied Chandra, glancing at Twitchtongue. "What happened?" she inquired, keeping her voice low. "Last I knew, you were in the river."

"We managed to get to shore and searched for you and the flutterfly, but could not find either of you," whispered her friend, ears flat. "Then I heard you singing, but before we could follow the sound to its source, the cutters captured us."

"Not exactly the rescue party I was expecting." Chandra sighed and patted the rat's shoulder, then looked about, a resigned look on her face. "Now what?"

"I hope he knows," Twitchtongue said, red fur bristling as he gestured toward Fissin. "I do not."

The flutterfly bobbed his head and moved one leg in a quick pointing motion. "We are being silent now and respecting the queen."

Confused by Fissin's words, Chandra glanced in the direction the flutterfly had indicated. The girl swallowed hard as she realized that during their brief conversation the cutter's queen had stood and was now waddling slowly toward them, supported on all sides by her smaller subjects. More than four times the size of the other cutters, the queen towered over Chandra and her two companions. Stopping a few feet away, the cutter waved her antennae at the flutterfly and made a soft hissing sound.

"She is greeting you and saying that she is welcoming you to her home," Fissin gasped, obviously startled by this turn of events. "She is asking to be speaking with the one who is flying like a flyer without being one."

The girl's eyes widened and a cold shiver ran down her spine. _How could she know?_

More hissing and Fissin translated again.

"Watching since you were falling they have been doing, and she is hoping you are the one answering to their praying."

"Me?" Chandra laughed nervously. "Please tell her that she's got the wrong kid. She should be talking to Queen Luxa."

The queen's jaw moved once more, but this time she sang. "We welcome to our home."

"You speak English?" Chandra asked, taken aback.

"Difficult it is to do, but I will try to speak for you. My name is Queen and queen I am." The cutter leaned forward, antennae brushing Chandra's face. The girl didn't dare move this close to the queen's jaws, so she held her breath, bottling the scream that had built in her throat at the cutter's sudden movement. After a moment the cutter queen withdrew and she bowed her head. "I bid you welcome, flying moon. You have come none too soon."

_First Fissin's constant 'ing', now an ant that rhymes everything it says._ Chandra resisted the urge to groan. _I don't know how much more of this I can take._ "All right, fine, if you needed my help, why kidnap me? Why not just ask?" demanded the girl, folding her arms.

"You came to fight against our might."

"We came to discuss peace terms," Luxa shouted from the other side of the room. "We don't want to fight you; we want peace among all the creatures of the Underland."

The queen hissed and the guards around Luxa and the others brought them over, none too gently.

"You must listen well," sang the queen, "I have a tale to tell."

Chandra sat down, unsure how long the cutter's story would take. Once the others were seated comfortably, the cutter queen settled on the hard stone, and began to speak, or, rather, sing. Images flashed through Chandra's mind; it was more like she was seeing the story take place than hearing it.

First there was darkness, so black it seemed no light could ever manage to pierce it, but slowly the girl began to sense – not see, there was still no light – a presence that multiplied quickly. There were cutters scurrying all around her, and for an instant she felt as if she was with them, a part of a great machine that directed her every thought and movement. Then, as swift as it had begun, the feeling vanished and Chandra was left a spectator, following the rise of the cutter's province, directed by the first queen of whom the current queen was a descendant. Life seemed pleasant, food was plentiful and those who would become known as killers had not yet arrived, but this utopia did not, could not, last for long.

When the killers arrived, the cutters hid, fearing the light that suddenly pierced their dark existence. One brave drone, unlike its fellows, approached a killer to learn their language. The queen had ordered it, and fortunately, the killer was not like his fellows and treated the cutter with kindness. Learning the killers' language was difficult, and it introduced concepts never heard of, including individuality. By the time the drone returned, it had been corrupted, no longer satisfied with its existence as a mere part of the machine. The queen at that time had no choice but to sentence her loyal subject to a quick and painless death, for it had gone insane.

Or had it? During the remaining hours before its death, the drone babbled in both languages it knew, insisting that something called a moon would fly to aid them in their darkest hour. But darkness was where the cutters lived, and the queen paid no heed to this warning, nor the other one given before the insane cutter was killed. An enemy was coming, it said, one against which the cutters could fight, but never win.

Many generations later, long after the forewarned danger was first spoken of, it did come, and the cutters fought valiantly against a powerful enemy. They asked the killers for aid, but none was given, and though they managed to chase their foe from their home, the victory would not last. Knowing they were on their own, the cutters burrowed deep within their home, preparing for the next great war.

By the time the tale was finished, tears were running down Chandra's face. She wiped them away hastily, wanting to ask questions before she lost the courage to do so. "Please, could you tell me who this enemy is?"

The cutter queen bowed her head and sang again. This time a clear image appeared in the girl's mind, and she flinched at the sight. It was huge, many, many times her size, with jaws like an ant's, though much longer. Brown or black, she had difficulty figuring out what color it was, but there was no mistaking the creature.

"Termites," she whispered, opening her eyes, which she didn't remember closing. "But that's impossible. Without wood, they couldn't survive down here."

"I've never heard of such creatures," Twitchtongue murmured, shivering. "They must live in the Uncharted Lands beyond the cutters' domain."

"Help us, flying moon, for they will come soon."

"Look, you've got the wrong person," Chandra said. "We're only here to stop you from attacking us, and I'm only here because they-" she gestured toward the captive group "insisted I had to come."

"We fight not you, against others we do."

Fissin's antennae bristled. "Explaining then you will be doing of why you are encroaching upon flutterfly territory."

"Soon they come, nowhere to run."

"Why be retreating in our direction?"

"Nowhere to go, this we both know."

"Could you stop rhyming?" Chandra asked, rubbing her temples. A headache was coming on, and she resisted the urge to move to the other side of Twitchtongue, away from Fissin. Her stomach ached worse than her wings did, and she'd swear she could hear the moth's blood rushing through its veins, smell the light, sweet scent of its powdery scales... Digging her fingernails into her palms, the girl tried to keep her focus on the cutter queen.

"If you wish, I can try. Will you help us?" The queen managed to not sound like she was begging, though it was obviously a plea.

"I don't know." Throwing up her hands, the girl shook her head. "How am I supposed to stop a termite army?"

"Where you come from, how do you fight termites?"

"We call an exterminator, I guess."

"Are you one of these exterminators?"

"No, of course not!"

"Yet you sing like a warrior."

"You mean the song I sang before? That's just a lullaby." Chandra glanced at Fissin and Twitchtongue, but neither said anything. _Some help they are. How am I supposed to get out of this mess? I don't _want_ to fight._

"The tune is like that of a warrior."

"The music, you mean?" The girl took a deep breath, deciding to switch a more important topic than her singing. "How did you defeat the termites last time?"

"They are known as chewers, for they destroy everything with their strong jaws." After a moment's hesitation, the queen added, "We fight in the same style, but also with our singing, for they cannot fight sound."

_That makes no sense._ Chandra was about to ask for clarification, when a cutter came limping into the room through one of several entrances. Two of its legs dragged uselessly and it stumbled several times before reaching the cutter queen. The drone bobbed its head several times before touching antennae with its queen, who stiffened, and then pulled away.

"They come," she said. "Do you stand with us?"

"Don't, Overlander, it is not your fight," Luxa said, glaring at the cutter queen.

"You may aid us, human queen, but do not choose for those not ruled by you," the cutter queen said, a slight scolding tone to her voice, as if Luxa were an infant being chastised. "What do you say, one who flies?"

_I came all this way so there wouldn't be a battle!_ Chandra wished to speak her thoughts aloud, but hesitated. She couldn't rid herself of the terrifying image the cutter queen had shared. _Is it possible that the termites can't be reasoned with?_ "Have you ever tried speaking with the termites?"

Instead of a verbal answer, the cutter queen sang more pictures, and the graphic details of dead cutters left the girl wishing she hadn't asked.

"What do you say?" repeated the cutter queen.

Taking a deep breath, Chandra nodded. "I don't want to fight, but if there's no alternative, I'll help." _I just hope I'm making the right choice._


	21. Chapter 21

**Wow, less than three weeks since my last update!**

**I'm pleased to announced I finished this story... 28 chapters in all. They will be posted as they get editted...**

**Thanks as always to my wonderful beta Mep for her much needed help.**

**And thank YOU for reviewing!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty One

Sleep did not come easy for Chandra – the nightly thief could not steal her away when her mind was filled to bursting with a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts.

_They're going to fight tomorrow, and I have to help. I don't _want_ to kill anything, though. Why did I have to agree to fight? It was stupid of me. Was it because they expected me to fight? Luxa expected me to come with her and the others on this quest and I did. I'm still doing it, aren't I? I'm still following orders, even though I'm no longer with Dr. Delinz and the other scientists. It doesn't matter where I am; they've practically carved the urge to follow others into my mind._

Clutching her head as though she might rip that feeling out, the girl scowled at the shadowy ceiling above. She and the other quest members were gathered together in a large cave that the cutters had brought them to by order of their queen. A few torches flickered weakly in the corners, not well-made but a kind gesture all the same. Food had been provided, too, a sticky white substance that reminded her by feel and taste of half-melted marshmallows. Not that any of her companions understood what she was speaking of, except for Luxa, who'd heard of the food from Gregor, and Ripred, who knew more than one would expect a gnawer warrior to.

"Are you awake, Chandra?" whispered a hesitantvoice close to the girl's right ear.

"Yes, Twitch," she sighed, rolling onto her side so she faced her friend. "Can't sleep. You?"

"I am feeling the same." Twitchtongue was quiet for a moment, then asked bluntly, his voice betraying his obvious confusion, "Why are you helping the cutters?"

"It was a foolish decision," added another voice, farther away. Apparently Luxa couldn't sleep, either. "The cutters are dangerous."

"How do you know?" Chandra raised her head and glared in the human queen's direction, annoyed by Luxa's know-it-all tone. "How much do you really know about the cutters?"

"Very little," admitted the human queen after a long pause,anger filling her voice. "But I assure you, it is more than enough. They killed my uncle, what more proof do you need?"

"I'm sorry," Chandra said, "but I can't let them get wiped out, just because one human died. You fought the gnawers, didn't you? Yet now you and they are at peace with each other. How many people died in your family before then? Do you call the gnawers dangerous?"

"That is an unfair question," chuckled Ripred. "She can't very well answer you with the possibility that I or Twitch are listening."

"You _are_ dangerous," Luxa said, proving the gnawer wrong. "However, no more dangerous than we humans are to you."

"Could you please be quiet, some of us are trying to sleep," Tyn grumbled, his voice accompanied by an exasperated ruffling of feathers.

Chandra bit back a groan. "Is there anyone who _isn't_ awake?"

A light flashed. "I think not," Lumi murmured.

Humming filled the air. "I was before the light came," Vurox said.

"The digger is, and the crawler," Fissin whispered.

The girl had almost forgotten how large their group was. Doing a mental count, she came up with the number fourteen. A good-sized number, but compared to the horde of termites they apparently would be facing, she didn't know if they would be much help, even if it had been decided that they would come to the cutters' aid. It had not been decided, though, and the girl resolved to ask the important question while she had a chance. "Are any of you going to help the cutters?" A silence ensued in which Chandra's chest constricted tightly, her eyes scanning the creatures of the room, waiting for a response.

"I will, if you are," Twitchtongue said loyally.

"Guess that means I am, too," said Ripred. "Someone has to make sure you do not get into more trouble than you can chew, pup."

"Well, you can count me out," Radi snapped, her light flashing in random bursts. "We are going home, right, Lumi?"

"I...want to help Chandra," Lumi told her sister, voice trembling.

"If you are returning, you can escort her highness, shiner," Ripred said, adding without pause, "Do not argue with me, Luxa, you are going back if I have to get Vurox to wrap you so tight you can't move. The Council will condemn me if you die."

"Bonds stay together," Luxa said. "If you stay, I do."

"So will I," Aurora agreed adamantly.

"I will not be much help," said a small voice Chandra recognized as Helix's. The nibbler didn't often speak, and her voice was timid. "I cannot fight, but if there is need for a medic, that I can do."

"I will help Helix," hummed Vurox. "My venom is not strong enough for battle."

"Help I, the nibbler, help I," Epoch said.

"Strong claws I have, good for fighting." It was the longest sentence Chandra had heard the digger say.

"I suppose I had better help as well," Tyn said, the hooter's voice taking on a tone of boredom.

"Helping the medics, I will be doing, for fighting I cannot be doing," Fissin promised.

"I too am trained for a medic's work," Pluto agreed.

"You're all insane," Radi muttered.

"Will you help us, Radi?" Lumi asked.

"I will stay with the medics, if I have to." Radi paused, then whispered, "Please be careful out there, Lumi."

"I will."

"Now that that matter is settled," Ripred said, "we better all get some rest."

Chandra closed her eyes and shifted to a more comfortable position, knowing the gnawer was right. Still, sleep hovered just out of reach.

Her growling stomach awoke Chandra, though she could have used a few more hours of rest. "Is it morning yet?" She wondered aloud, yawning and rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. Her entire body ached from lying on hard rock for so long, but her wings felt better than they had the day before. After making sure there was enough room around her by using her echolocation – the torches had gone out sometime during the night and had not been replaced – the girl spread her wings and flapped them slowly a few times before folding them. She would be able to fly, perhaps not for long periods of time, but if she could stop to rest once in a while, she would be all right.

"Who knows?" Twitchtongue replied. "It is dark here whatever the time of day is. I think it is time to eat, though. Are you hungry?"

"Starving," said his friend, rubbing her stomach. "The marshmallow stuff was good, but not very filling."

The red rat's ears flicked. "Sorry, but that is all we have to eat. Most of the supplies were destroyed, and what little we have left, Luxa wants to keep for the trip home, since we do not know if the ants will supply food or even if their food can last for a long time."

"All right, fluff for breakfast it is." Chandra turned, scanning the large cave with her echolocation. Except for herself and Twitchtongue, the entire place was empty. "Where did everyone go?"

"The cutters came about half an hour ago to lead them to a different cave so they could get ready. Ripred said you should rest a little while longer and left me to guard you. There are cutters outside, waiting to lead us to the others, are you ready to depart?"

The girl shrugged, a bit overwhelmed by her friend's swift speech, this early in the morning. "I guess so. Did you hear if the termites have approached yet?" Stretching her arms above her head to work out a few more kinks in her back, Chandra waited for her friend's reply.

"The chewers, you mean. Apparently they can bite through most things." Twitchtongue sounded worried. "And they are huge, as big as the flyers. It is going to be dangerous, Chandra. Really dangerous. Are you still sure this is a good idea?"

"For some reason, they think I'm going to help them in some way," Chandra replied, sighing. "I don't want to fight, Twitch, honest, but what else can I do?"

"We could go home."

"But after the cutters are destroyed, who will be next? Fissin and the other flutterflies?" The girl grimaced and reminded herself not to think about the flutterfly when she had an empty stomach; the urge to eat now warred with an equal urge to throw up. _I wonder if the flyers ever feel this way. What about Tyn? Some owls eat bats, and most eat mice and rats and such creatures. Does he have to fight temptation, too? Or have they evolved past that point?_

"Are you all right?" Twitchtongue asked in concern. "You made a strange noise just now."

"I'm hungry, that's all," Chandra replied with forced cheerfulness. "Let's get something to eat."

A brief moment of silence between the two friends was broken by Twitchtongue. "What's this whole business with Tyn?" asked the gnawer as they approached the entrance of the cave. "I don't trust him, Chandra."

"You don't? Why not?" The girl tried to hide her unease. "He helped us get here in the first place."

"But why?" Twitchtongue pressed, guessing that his friend hid something by the way her eyes shifted from side to side.

"Maybe he just wanted to do a good deed."

"Did you promise him anything?"

"What makes you think I did?"

"I think it is strange that a hooter would show up, just in time to offer us assistance, and not ask for anything in exchange. Since you were alone with him for a while before you rejoined the rest of the group, I think you made some sort of a deal."

"I did, and I won't tell you what," Chandra said. "But don't worry, it wasn't anything bad." _At least, nothing bad that I'm going to actually do,_ she thought. _I don't want to lie to Twitch but I can't tell him without telling him the whole truth, and Tyn mustn't find out that I am not leading him to the Overland._

"I hope not," Twitchtongue muttered, not feeling all too certain his friend was telling the truth, but not wanting to press any further a matter that she'd already made clear wasn't open for discussion. "Be careful, Chandra, all right? I still don't trust him."

"Neither do I, to tell you the truth," Chandra whispered, so quietly her friend almost didn't catch the words. In a normal voice, she added, "Okay, where's our escort?"

Two cutter guards came out of the shadows, carrying torches, and without a word started down the hall. Chandra and Twitchtongue followed without a wordof argument. They didn't have far to go, and the cave they entered was even larger than the one they had left, though only about half the size of the cutter queen's throne room.

"It is good to see you awake," the cutter queen said, looking up from a discussion she was having with Luxa, who was wearing a mask of forced patience. "Please eat."

"Any word regarding the chewers?" Chandra asked, sitting down next to Ripred, who had his nose buried in a bowl of the sticky white food.

The gnawer shook his head, but the cutter queen nodded, drawing a glare from Ripred, who lifted his muzzle out of his meal long enough to grumble about information not being passed as it should be.

"Scouts have gone missing near the last place we fought the chewers," the cutter queen said, unfazed by the gnawer's look. "We must engage in battle soon. Do you still wish to join us, flying moon?"

"Please call me Chandra," the girl said. "Yes, I will fight." A quiver of fear crept down her spine, but she tensed her back muscles, stopping the trembling before it had really begun. "I don't have a weapon, though."

"You will not fight with sword, but in a different way more befitting your title of flying moon."


	22. Chapter 22

**Someone please pinch me - I must be dreaming! It's been what, less than a week since my last update?!**

**Don't get used to this; with no 'net access at home right now, my updating will continue be sporadic.**

**Thanks as always to my awesome beta, Mep! It's because of her wondrous speed at editing that I am able to post this chapter today!**

**Thank you very much for reviewing and faving/alerting this fic. It makes me happy and happy writers are productive writers. ^.^  
**

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Chapter Twenty Two

_ I can't believe this,_ Chandra thought, taking a deep breath of cool air. She had thought it would be dank, perhaps with a musty smell, but in the cavernous depths of the Uncharted Lands, the air seemed cleaner than it was on the surface, where it could so often be polluted enough to leave a bad taste on one's tongue. Currently there _was_ a sour taste in the girl's mouth, however, it was caused not by the air, but rather by the sounds coming from below, that of the battle she could not yet participate in.

The cutter queen's order had been firm, wait until the opportune moment, then begin the assault. However, she had not said when such a moment would come, or how to identify it, or what kind of attack she expected, which left the girl circling overhead, watching helplessly as the cutter troops were demolished by a swiftly advancing horde.

No, horde was too small a word to describe this vast army of termites – chewers, she corrected herself – that marched without pause across the dead, sandy plains currently serving as the battle field. More like a mindless mass, a multitude of bloodthirsty creatures rushing to battle without thought toward strategy, simply overwhelming the opponent with sheer force.

Once in a while Chandra's echolocation would pick out the sight of one of her quest companions charging the enemy or drawing back. Ripred proved more than a match for the much bigger creatures, taking the chewers down one at a time with gruesome swiftness. He stood back to back with Twitchtongue, who, despite his young age, was a fearsome warrior in his own right. Both rats had cuts on their sleek pelts that leaked blood, staining the nearby fur dark crimson, but their injuries were minimal compared to the damage they were doing to the enemy. Luxa and Aurora fought gracefully, the human queen's sword striking with perfect precision while her bond flipped and somersaulted over the chewers' heads, avoiding their attempts to snag her wings. Tyn proved to be as dangerous as his Overland relatives, his claws slashing and beak stabbing the enemy with ruthlessness. Birracavl was much the same, his digging claws more dangerous to the chewers than any human's sword.

Despite Chandra's fears, Lumi seemed able to hold her own when in peril, though the shiner stayed near the cave's roof, light as bright as she could make it. This allowed those who preferred light – specifically Luxa and Chandra – could see the battle with ease. Her light also had an effect on the chewers, who perhaps had not experienced such brightness in many generations and avoided it instinctively. Whatever the reason, Lumi, though the least prepared to fight, was in the safest position, and Chandra flew over to the shiner, wondering if she might be able to speak with her and gain some answers.

"Overlander," Lumi whispered, voice tense with the effort of maintaining her light. "Be there a problem?"

"The cutter queen told me I needed to wait until the right moment to attack," said Chandra, eyes on the battlefield, where the fight continued to hover at a fragile equilibrium. "Do you know what she meant by that? I've been trying to figure it out, but I don't know and I'm worried I'll miss the opportunity and...something bad could happen." The girl shuddered, trying to dismiss the thought and failing.

"I would not worry," the shiner said gently, understanding the human's need for reassurance. "Take a deep breath and wait. You will know when the time arrives."

"But they're fighting," Chandra protested, quivering with frustration. "I can't help, but I want to, and I'll have to, but I hate knowing I'll have to, because there's nothing I can do, so I also know I'll fail."

"You _will_ fail if you think that way." Lumi paused. "The cutter said something strange about singing. Like they once used it as a weapon. Could that be your way of helping?"

Chandra shook her head dejectedly. "How could it be? I'm not that great of a singer, and all I know are a few lullabies."

"Which is something any human would know, but the prophecy did not call for any human, it called for you, did it not? The flying moon must have some power above that of an ordinary human, which you can use to defeat this threat to the Underland once and for all."

Eyes wide with surprise, Chandra stared at Lumi for a long moment, the sounds of battle lost in a roaring in her ears.

_Power? What power? I can fly, but that's not useful without a weapon, and my echolocation's no weapon. I can't even use it well. Dr. Delinz and the other scientists created me as an experiment, one that was partly successful in that I've survived this long, but what good are wings and keen hearing? I wish they had used DNA from some other animal, one that can fight. Bats have only survived so long in the Overland because they're good at running and hiding. Down here, though, they can fight, like Aurora's doing now. I should be able to fight, too. I_ want_ to fight; there's no other option. But how? What did the cutter queen mean by singing, and why didn't she want me to fight alongside the cutters? I'm flying around up here like a coward, while they're being slaughtered down there, like in the story she showed me. That story..._ Chandra frowned, a ghost of an idea hovering just out of reach. _I _saw_ that story. Somehow her words turned into images in my mind – there's no way my imagination could have conjured up the image of a termite. Just before the images replaced the words, she started singing instead of speaking, didn't she?_

"She sang the entire story, but I remember no images," Lumi said, and Chandra realized she'd spoken at least her last thought aloud. "Is that important?" the shiner continued, noticing the girl's astonishment.

"Yes, it is." Chandra took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Lumi, I think I know what to do now, but if this doesn't work, you've got to make sure everyone gets out alive."

"What?" gasped the shiner, shocked by the very suggestion she could manage such a monumental task. Her light dimmed a fraction, irritated, she brightened it again, more intense than before. "Are you insane? How am I supposed to do that?"

Chandra shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know." A quick smile flashed across her face. "People usually say that in stories, though, right before they do something that should be extremely stupid but actually works."

"What is your plan?" Lumi asked, perplexed, unable to tell if Chandra meant the request as a joke or in complete seriousness.

"When you hear the word flyer, what's the first two things that come to mind?"

"They can fly and often work with humans. Why do you ask?"

"I usually think of flight as well, but also of something even more important. They use echolocation to find their food, but their voices can be used to communicate as well. Aurora and Pluto never speak much, I bet it's because making their voice deep enough to be heard by human ears is difficult."

"But your voice is like a human's, so what use is this information?"

"I think I can raise my voice to a flyer's level," Chandra said. "I don't know much about supersonics, but I think the queen's voice consists of several sounds, one the humans can hear, one bats can hear, and perhaps one too low for either to hear. Somehow she used that sound to make images in my head, and if I can duplicate that, I might be able to scare away the termites."

"But if the queen has that power, why would she not use it herself?"

"Because to do such a thing, she would have to be able to make all the termites hear her at once," Chandra said. "Which she could only do if she could cover the entire battlefield swiftly. You saw how she could barely walk; it would be an impossible task for her."

"But not for you." Lumi bobbed her head, excitement lacing her next words. "You can do it, Chandra, I am sure of it."

"I'm going to try," Chandra replied, clenching her hands. Her fingers slipped against each other, covered in sweat. Despite the cool air, she was perspiring heavily. Was it from fear? Exertion? She wasn't sure, but the girl began to shake as she headed toward the far side of the battlefield. Her wings ached as she picked up speed; Chandra slowed down, wanting to save her energy for the feat she was about to attempt.

_I can do this,_ she told herself, pushing aside any thoughts to the contrary. The featureless faces of contemptuous scientists floated in her mind, and she ignored them. _I'm going to prove that I'm not just an experiment, something to be studied or ignored._ Dr. Delinz appeared in the scientists' midst, frowning, mouth open to give an order or rebuke, but Chandra squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second and Twitchtongue replaced the other images, joined by Aurora and Ripred and Lumi and all her other Underland friends.

"Chandra, look out," Lumi screamed, and the girl's eyes snapped open in time for her to react and swerve around a stalactite she'd almost brained herself on.

_ Focus_, she told herself, taking another deep breath. _I've got to focus. I need to sing images into the termites' minds, ones that will frighten them away forever. I wish I could remember what termites hate. Maybe this-no, it's not the time for second thoughts._ Releasing a third breath, the girl stopped and hovered in the air for a breathless moment, letting her mind go blank, then fill with images and their song.

Chandra opened her mouth, and the music flowed out.


	23. Chapter 23

**My awesome beta helped me work out a schedule that means updating from here on out shall be pretty much weekly. Yay!**

**Thanks as always to my beta Mep for her wonderful help, and thank YOU for reviewing!**

**Cybercookies to everyone who guesses what the other language Chandra sings in is.  
**

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Chapter Twenty Three

At first the soft threads of melody were lost in the general chaotic noise of battle. Chandra did her best to project her voice, but it was no simple task, not at the octave she was trying to hold, one too high for human ears to register. Her own ears heard the music just fine, and far below the gnawers twitched theirs. Aurora's flight faltered for a brief second, then steadied when the girl pictured her song raining down death on the enemy but fading before it could harm her friends. Imagination seemed to be the key to this attack, and it appeared that her attempts to utilize it were working – the chewers slowed a bit in their headlong dash, a few even stumbled or collapsed from no visible reason, and several turned to flee, though they were pushed forward again by those behind.

Taking heart in this evidence that her musical way of fighting was having an obvious effect on the enemy, Chandra took a deep breath and continued the song, pushing her vocal cords to their limit. With every wing beat she crossed more of the cavern, letting the music fill every crevice and thrust deep into the chewers' minds while leaving her friends alone. Her technique wasn't flawless - Aurora occasionally swerved away from something that wasn't there, and the two gnawers struck each other twice – but Chandra disregarded these mistakes and focused her attention on singing.

Already a slight ache in her throat had intensified to an almost unbearable level, but she still had over half the cavern to cover, with no idea if she'd have to repeat the move for it to have a lasting effect. Deep breaths kept the girl's lungs from complaining, but her wings protested the rough treatment so soon after injury. Chandra shoved the pain to the back of her mind, refusing to think about it until she'd finished her task.

_A little further_, she silently coaxed herself onward, the singing having become so much a part of her that she barely had to think about the words her mouth was shaping. They slid from her tongue like crystallized honey, her vocal cords straining to keep the sounds at the level of a bat's voice. _Just a little further._

"Milēs noxis

Lux oppugnat

Currat et non pugnat..."

Faintly a bell of recognition rang in the girl's mind. _Where did those words come from? _A poem she'd read in some dusty old book? Chandra's surprise almost interrupted her singing, but she caught herself in time and continued, even as her brain switched from the dead language to English, so as not to confuse the girl again.

"Soldiers of night

Attacking the light

Run and fight no more

Fear the creeping darkness

That follows behind

And run to your home..."

Images flitted through her mind, too fast for her to grasp, but they flew out on the wings of music and at last began to make the chaos below an even worse turmoil for the chewers.

During a brief lull, Twitchtongue raised his head to watch his friend's zigzagging flight, and gasped to his companion, "Chandra's doing something, isn't she?"

Blood dripped from a shallow cut on Ripred's muzzle, a wound similar to those scattered over his body and tail. The older rat gave a slight nod in agreement, then the adrenaline racing through his veins released his rager side again, and he lunged at an oncoming chewer, his sharp teeth tearing at its neck until he broke the thick armor, decapitating his victim. Twitchtongue inflected the same damage on another adversarywhen it tried to sneak up behind his mentor, and forgot Chandra for the moment, all his concentration needed for fighting.

When Aurora's flight first wavered, Luxa became worried, and the moment she got a chance, the human queen asked, "Aurora, what is wrong? Your flight is crooked."

"The Overlander has joined the battle," Aurora replied, ears twitching in a futile attempt to block the eerie sound. "She is sending the enemy images of danger, but her voice is not controlled and I catch snatches of..." The flyer banked and flipped while Luxa slashed at the attacking chewer, their conversation forcibly abandoned for the moment.

Chandra could tell the tables were turning in her friends' favor, but the change was slow, and many of the cutters continued to fall. _There must be a way to stop this before it becomes a pyrrhic victory,_ she thought, straining to make her voice louder. So far she had been attacking the chewers as a group, but perhaps it would be better to take on their leader. If they had one. So far she had seen no distinguishing marks among the chewers, nothing that made one stand out above the rest. They seemed to be a single, massive, seething horde that chopped down everything in its path.

_Where are you?_ The girl wondered, criss-crossing the cavern again, this time at a slower pace, searching the battlefield for the chewer's leader. _Are you here, or are you directing this from somewhere else? The chewers keep on coming, there seems to be no end, could it be that you're hiding in the deeper Uncharted Lands, where the cutters say you came from, your orders passed on through the ranks?_ It would almost make sense, but Chandra refused to give up hope that her target wasn't out of range.

A slight hum below her music caught the girl's attention, and she glanced down, realizing for the first time that the cutters were joining in, adding their voices to hers when they could. It was moral support, if nothing else and she continued her hunt with renewed vigor. No cutter was going to hide from her, the girl swore, eyes and echolocation darting across the hard carapaces of allies and foes alike. In some places a skirmish got so bad she couldn't tell cutter from chewer, and those small knots she skipped over. Generals might charge into battle with their soldiers, but only a foolish one would get into such a tight situation, and the chewers were not dumb creatures, else they would have fled at the first wave of her attack. Unless the song wasn't working... She shook her head, refusing to consider the possibility, and kept her focus on the search.

It took another sweep of the cavern before Chandra foundwhat she had been seeking – a chewer, near the back and away from the worst fighting, surrounded by other chewers in a way that looked careless at first, but which a closer inspection revealed as a carefully placed guard that would prevent most attackers from reaching the chewer in the center. It was obvious the chewer in charge didn't expect a strike from the air. Smirking, the girl closed in. _Got you_.

None of the chewers protecting their leader seemed to notice Chandra circling above, but she stayed far out of reach, just in case one or more of them were bluffing and simply waiting for a chance to attack. Her throat felt like it was on fire, but she couldn't give up now, not this close to victory.

"Return home vanquished

And never again depart

Keep to the safe place

Where light never shines

Run, foul warrior

From the voice of truth..."

The chewers' leader shuddered and took a step back, jaws opening and closing in what could be indecision. Chandra moved down a fraction and kept singing. Her voice took on a coaxing tone.

"Forget your cruel wishes

Embrace the darkness

Avoid death and live long

Hiding among the shadows..."

She could have cheered if it wouldn't have messed up her singing, which was working, far better than she'd hoped. The chewer continued to back away, quivering like it wanted to turn and run. Its guards seemed confused, their fighting sluggish when the cutters tried to breach their defenses. Chewers toward the front of the cavern began to retreat, no longer pressed forward by their comrades and orders. Instead they began milling about with no clear goal, save escape.

Luxa's voice rose above the fading sounds of battle. "You are doing well, Overlander, do not stop!" Though she called the words out with good intentions, the human queen could not have timed her encouragement worse. It distracted Chandra for one brief, crucial moment Caught between the pressures of flying with exhausted wings, singing at supersonic levels, and trying to transmit images with said music, the girl collapsed, her song cut off mid-note.

A shrill cry came from the cutters as Chandra tumbled toward the ground, where the leader of the chewers, no longer under the girl's influence, regained control over its legions and ordered the guards to attack the enemy above them the second she was in reach.

Twitchtongue, Ripred, Tyn and the others saw Chandra's peril, but they were too far away to attempt rescue. Aurora was nearer to the girl than any of the others, but the distance was still too great. Even as the flyer tried to get close enough, using every scrap of strength she had and urged on by her alarmed rider, she and Luxa both knew they would not reach Chandra in time.

No one expected what happened next. Dropping out of the sky like a bomb released from a plane, Lumi moved with a speed that surprised even herself, and she latched onto Chandra's jacket, wings beating the air frantically. The shiner had not been built for carrying more than her weight, and the girl weighed at least as much as she did, but Lumi, showing a courage and strength not often associated with her kind, gained altitude before the chewers could attack. It seemed they would get away, but despite her efforts, the shiner began to descend, unable to maintain the height needed to keep her and the girl out of harm's reach.


	24. Chapter 24

**...not much to say today, except I STILL don't have internet access at home.  
Beginning to wonder if Presario's ever going to come back...  
I really miss him.**

**Thanks to my beta Mep for catching some very embarrassing mistakes!**

**Thank YOU for your kind reviews and faving/alerting this fic.  
**

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Chapter Twenty Four

Twitchtongue, who had relaxed a little when Lumi snatched his friend from certain death, now leapt forward, shoving past cutter and chewer alike as he watched the shiner's shaky descent. "Chandra!" he shouted. "I'm coming!"

Ripred's teeth snapped shut inches from Twitchtongue's muzzle, halting the young rat."You can't help her, pup, and if you don't fight, you'll die," the rager growled. "Do you think your friend would be pleased if that happened?"

"Right," gasped the younger gnawer, flexing his claws against the stone beneath his paws. "Aurora will save them." He sounded as if he were trying to reassure himself, though the flyer was almost on the scene already. Hesitantly, Twitchtongue turned away, joining his companion in battle once more.

Across the cavern Luxa was calling desperate pleas to the valiant shiner."Stay up a bit longer," the human queen encouraged Lumi, who bravely beat her wings, fighting her own exhaustion to keep flying.

A chewer reared onto its back legs and snapped at Aurora 's wings, forcing the flyer to swerve away from Lumi, who in turn dropped another couple inches and was forced to pull her legs up against her abdomen to keep her precious cargo out of the chewers' reach.

Chandra's own wings were in danger; they had not folded when she went unconscious and still drooped down, completely vulnerable. A different chewer tried the same attack used on the flyer and came within a foot of the girl's wings. Lumi dodged, but the effort cost her several inches of altitude that she could not regain. Her light began flashing in a simple repeated pattern, an automatic response to mortal danger, alerting any other shiners nearby – though there were none – that they should run.

The flashing disoriented Luxa at first, but her eyes quickly adjusted and she urged Aurora on, knowing how limited time was. Her bond needed no second bidding and shot through the air like an arrow from a bow, angled so she would pass slightly below Lumi and be able to catch both the girl and the shiner. All the chewers guarding their leader gathered in front, rearing up and clicking their jaws together in warning.

Chandra groaned, her eyelids fluttering, then the girl returned to consciousness with a violent jerk, nearly dislodging Lumi's hold on her jacket. The first thing her gaze fell on was hard, jagged-edged jaws not six inches from her face, and Chandra let out a shrill scream.

"Hush, Overlander," Aurora purred, swooping beneath the girl, Luxa hanging upside down from her bond's neck, hacking at the chewers with her sword to keep them at bay. "Lumi, release her."

The next sound out of the girl's mouth was a harsh gasp when she landed, wings folding just in time to prevent broken bones. Her body shaking as she coughed, Chandra managed to sit up, her hands buried in Aurora 's fur and maintaining a firm grip. On Tyn's back she'd felt safe, but the flyer moved with a graceful, darting speed that made Chandra feel like she would tip off at any second.

Lumi landed behind Chandra, panting for breath even as she inspected the girl for wounds. "Are you injured, Chandra?" Her voice quivered with concern.

"Only my jacket and my pride," the girl said, managing a weak smile, her own voice soft and hoarse. "I don't know why I collapsed like that, but I am sorry for putting you in danger." Her face fell. "I almost had it, Lumi! I was this close to chasing the chewers away. Now..." She peered over Aurora 's side, then sat back, tears glistening in her eyes. "Now..." Chandra began coughing again, a rough hacking noise that brought Luxa swinging around onto Aurora 's back in a flash.

"She needs a medic," said the human queen firmly, sheathing her sword. " Aurora !"

"Hold on," replied the flyer, banking, her ears swiveled back to monitor Chandra's raspy breathing. "I will be as fast as I can."

"Lie down," Luxa ordered the girl. "And relax your hands; Aurora will not let you fall."

Chandra did her best to follow both orders, though the second one was a challenge. The soreness in her throat was almost unbearable; drowning out all other pain, even that of her overtaxed wings. Eyes squeezed shut, the girl tried to slip into the darkness again, but the distress and fear swirling in her mind prevented that escape. Below she could hear the fighting continue, and started to sit up, wanting to see, but Luxa pushed her down and held her shoulders to bar another attempt.

"The chewers are disoriented," Lumi said, correctly guessing the girl's reason for moving. "The cutters are pushing them back – I'm sure we've won."

"Thank goodness," Chandra whispered, and the blackness swallowed her mind.

When Chandra woke, it was to the taste of the cutters' food in her mouth and the chill of soaking wet clothes. Another deluge of freezing water doused her even as her eyes opened, and she covered her face with a moan. "Stop!"

"It's about time you awoke," said Luxa's unsympathetic voice, and there was the sound of a bucket being set down. "You've been asleep for several hours. The fighting is over and the dead are being buried."

"Is Twitch okay?" Chandra flinched, startled by the sound of her own voice. It sounded rusty, like she hadn't spoken in years, rather than hours.

"Yes, and so are the others who came with us, though we all have minor injuries."

"Do you know how many cutters died?" Chandra asked, dreading the reply.

"No. I would estimate at least a thousand."

_That many? The battle didn't even last very long. What if they had had to keep fighting?_ It didn't bear thinking about. She knew how an ant colony worked, knew that the queen was the mastermind behind many clones, and still she felt a sense of loss for those who were gone. _Does the queen mourn them, or are they simply gone, already forgotten?_

"If you can stand, Overlander, the cutter queen wishes to receive you."

Her thoughts scattered, Chandra gave a small nod and stood, wincing with each step she took, and looked around. She was in a small cave, lit by a single torch, and her bed had been a rough hewn rock slab covered in white fluff, which explained the strange taste. Luxa was standing by the entrance, an impatient look on her face, and the other girl reluctantly followed her out, taking slow, careful steps until her sore, tense muscles warmed up.

It was a different cave where the queen waited this time, smaller and more brightly lit with torches, these ones better made than those from earlier. For a brief moment Chandra wondered if the cutters themselves used lamps or if they were just there for the humans' benefit. What about the other Underland creatures? Did they use torches as well, or were they at home in the darkness? The flyers would have no need for light with their echolocation, but what about the gnawers and nibblers and crawlers, to name a few of the species she knew of?

"Chandra!" Twitchtongue's nose burying itself in her side brought her back to the present, and the girl laughed **lightly**, giving her friend a hug, though she was careful to avoid the spider-web bandages that covered his worst wounds.

"I'm glad you're okay," Chandra said, then glanced over at Ripred, who was watching the younger gnawer, frowning. "The same goes for you, Ripred."

"Takes more than a few insects to harm me," he replied gruffly, ears flicking in Twitchtongue's direction. "He would have fewer wounds himself if he spent more time watching his own back instead of his friends' battles," the older rat added in a derisive tone.

"You scared me when you fell," Twitchtongue continued, ignoring his mentor and pulling away from his friend to glare at her. "It's a good thing Lumi was close enough to grab you."

"I know. Where is she?" Chandra looked around, but couldn't see the shiner anywhere. "I'd like to thank her for saving my life."

The gnawer bowed his head. "She's with the medics. Shiners aren't made for carrying so much weight, and the strain on her wings damaged them."

"Oh, no!" Chandra clapped her hands over her mouth, horrified. "Will she be all right?"

"She should be," Luxa said, expression softening. "Do not worry, Overlander, the medics know their work well."

A soft humming noise interrupted their conversation, and Chandra glanced up to find the cutter queen standing nearby, supported by several other cutters who were dwarfed by their queen's size. It still amazed the girl that such slender legs could handle the queen's large body, even to this small degree.

"We thank you for your help in our time of need," sang the cutter queen, bowing her head to Chandra. "Forever we are in your debt and beg a chance to relieve that heavy burden a little."

For once, Chandra was very grateful that she had spent so much of her time reading when she was younger; it meant she had a good idea what the queen was saying. "There's no need to repay me, I'm glad there won't be any fighting between the humans and the cutters."

"Spoken well," the queen replied, antennae dipping forward until they lightly brushed the girl's face. Chandra didn't move, not sure what she should do. "We will supply you for your long journey home."

"Thank you," Chandra said, unsure if she should be relieved that they would have food enough for the trip or dismayed because it meant she would be eating a lot of white fluff for the next week or so. One could only eat so much of the marshmallow-like stuff before growing sick of it.

"Rest tonight, you may leave in the morning, unless you would rather stay."

The girl's eyes widened, she hadn't anticipated the offer, and wasn't sure how she could politely decline it.

"The Overlander is grateful for your kind offer, but she must return to Regalia with myself and our companions," Luxa said, giving the cutter queen a slight bow. "She will most likely decide to return to the Overland."

_Not if I can help it_, Chandra thought, but she kept that to herself, deciding it was an argument that could wait.

"We also thank you for your wonderful hospitality and ask permission to rest now," added the human queen, her violet eyes unable to hide any longer the exhaustion lurking behind them. She stifled a yawn with difficulty.

"Sleep well. I shall not see you again before you leave." The cutter queen turned to Chandra and sang three brief notes. An image rose in the girl's mind, one she did not think anyone else could see, for it held significance only for her. How the cutter knew, Chandra did not know, but the frightening image of Dr. Delinz sitting near the rock that had covered the entrance to the Underland was enough to send chills down the girl's back.

"How..."

"Some questions should not be answered," the cutter queen said, and judging by the confused looks on her friends' faces, Chandra guessed that she had been correct in assuming they had not seen the picture. "Fare thee well, Overlander."

"Fare thee well," Chandra replied numbly, falling silent as Luxa led the way out. Twitchtongue started to ask his friend what was wrong, but changed his mind after Ripred gave a firm shake of his head. Instead the red rat stayed quiet and kept close to his friend, wishing he knew what had made her suddenly smell of fear.


	25. Chapter 25

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* * *

Chapter Twenty Five

True to her word, the cutter queen did not appear to the travelers again. About ten hours after the companions had fallen asleep they were awoken by silent guards and led to the Waterway where crude boats made from fish skin – like those of the humans – awaited them. Plenty of white fluff, as Chandra had taken to calling it, had been piled in the boats, leaving barely enough room for the passengers. Where the boats they had left Regalia with had been large enough that only two were required, the cutters had supplied three. Dividing the group proved a simple task. Both flyers, the digger, Luxa and Radi were in the first boat. Helix, Vurox, Epoch and Fissin took the second boat, which Tyn would use as a resting place when he was not navigating. Chandra, the two gnawers and Lumi were in the last boat, so the shiners would be able to cover as much area as possible with light when needed.

It was agreed that they would drop off those they could on the way, to save the trouble of traveling home from Regalia. It also meant the news that the cutters did not plan to wage war would spread faster. Fissin's home was the first stop, and Chandra had mixed feelings when they reached the flutterfly territory after a short journey of barely two days. She was glad on the one hand, because it meant the strange urges to kill and eat would go away, but she would miss Fissin; he'd been a good companion during their captivity.

The time for good-byes came much too quickly. Unsure what to say, Chandra bit her lip and eyed the flutterfly. "Thanks for everything," she said at last.

"You are being most welcome and I am being most sorrowing that parting we must." The flutterfly's antennae quivered. "Perhaps you will be visiting one day?"

"Maybe," Chandra said, sighing inwardly. Unless she could master the always present hunger that lurked in her stomach during close proximity to Fissin and his kind, she wouldn't be able to visit, but the invitation was kindly meant and she hoped she'd be able to accept it one day.

"We thank you for all your help," Luxa told the flutterfly. "You are welcome in Regalia."

"I am thanking you for the honor and now bidding farewell. Be traveling safely!" Wings flapping leisurely, the flutterfly flew down a short tunnel that would lead him directly to his home.

Chandra waved until he was out of sight, then spread her wings and flew after the boats, which had gone on ahead. She caught up with little trouble and landed in her boat, next to Twitchtongue.

"I'm going to miss him," she admitted, relaxing against the boat's side with a quiet sigh.

Twitchtongue bobbed his head. "Same here."

Ripred, who had overheard the conversation, cuffed the younger gnawer on one ear. "Don't be getting sentimental."

"Don't make me separate you two pups," Lumi called over her shoulder – she was crouched at the stern of the boat, keeping watch behind them for any dangers that might try creeping up. Chandra had refused to give into curiosity and ask what kinds of dangers there might be; she'd decided a while ago that the Underland was one place where sometimes it was better not to know. Now the girl laughed at the look on Ripred's face – obviously he was unused to being called 'pup'.

"Watch it, shiner," the gnawer growled at last. "Your kind might age faster than mine, but you also die sooner, don't make me rush the end for you."

"You wouldn't dare," Lumi retorted.

_It's a good thing Radi's two boats ahead of us,_ Chandra thought, closing her eyes as the inevitable argument began. _Otherwise she'd be quivering with fear for her sister's safety and complaining that Lumi never thinks before she speaks. Or something along those lines._

One by one the group dwindled. Pluto, Birracavl, Helix, Vurox and Epoch were dropped off over the course of a week. They left one boat with Epoch, who said the crawlers would bring it to Regalia when they had time, as there was plenty of room in two boats for the eight who were headed for Regalia – Radi had wanted to return home as well, but Lumi refused to leave and her sister stayed with her, grumbling most of the time.

It took four days to reach Regalia by Waterway from the crawlers' home. Luxa had suggested flying, but Aurora couldn't carry her bond and the two gnawers by herself, Tyn made it clear he would not take any passengers, and Chandra wasn't about to attempt such a long flight on wings that needed more time to heal. They weren't the only things in need of healing, the girl's voice continued to be rough when she spoke above a whisper, and it hurt to speak for a long period of time. Aurora assured her the pain would fade and her voice would return to normal; Chandra hoped the flyer was right.

Twitchtongue's battle wounds –and those sustained by the others– were almost healed when they finally reached Regalia. Despite this, everyone was taken to the hospital for treatment. Chandra resisted at first, but in the end agreed to a brief check-up, after which all she wanted as a hot bath, a good meal and sleep. She was left sitting on a hospital bed in an empty room for several minutes before a doctor –thankfully female– arrived.

"You may call me Betha," the woman said in a cool, professional voice, smoothing the white coat that seemed to be universal when it came to human medics. Noticing Chandra's apprehensive behavior her tone softened. "No need to look scared, dear, I will not hurt you. What hurts?"

"Mostly my throat," Chandra whispered. "My wings do, too, a bit, but they're okay."

"Let me see your wings, anyway. If there are any hairline-fractures it would be best to find them now, before you try flying again." Her check was brisk and revealed no sign of damage to the wings, except slight indications of overstrained muscles. "They seem in good condition, but do not fly for long periods of time for at least a month. Your throat is a different matter. There is not much I can do for it, but I suggest eating honey at least twice a day to soothe your throat and avoid speaking for long periods of time." Betha dusted her hands together, having finished her diagnosis. "All right, off you go. Do you want me to call a guard to guide you to your room?"

"No, I can find my way." Chandra had had her eyes on the floor most of the time, but now she raised them and attempted a small smile. "Thank you for your help. Do you know if Twitch and the others are all right?"

A gentle smile spread across Betha's face. "Everyone came through with very few injuries. You were all extremely lucky, Overlander."

"I know." Chandra hesitated, wondering if she might be able to visit her friends, then decided that they might be resting. Twitchtongue would find her later, and she wanted to get some sleep.

Finding the bedroom she'd used before didn't take long, but when the girl pushed aside the door curtain she found the room occupied. Gregor and Luxa were sitting on the bed, talking in low voices. They hadn't noticed her entrance, so Chandra backed out and hurried down the hall, feeling even more tired than before but unwilling to collapse in any empty room, in case it was actually assigned to someone.

_Maybe I should go back to the hospital__;__ at least there might be an empty bed I could borrow for a few hours..._ Chandra shook her head. _No, I'm not tired enough yet._ A faint sweet scent drifted into her nose and she brightened, her stomach growling. Unable to remember the last time she'd had a good meal that didn't consist of white fluff or fish – on the way home the two flyers had proved good at catching fish, but after a few meals Chandra had grown to dislike the scaly creatures as much as the cutter food – the girl headed for the kitchen. She didn't recognize the head cook, and guessed the same one didn't always run the kitchen, but after a short pause of surprise at the sight of an Overlander, the man settled her at a table with a large bowl of stew, a small loaf of bread and a mug of cool water.

"Anything else you need, ask," he told her, before dashing off to berate someone for scorching sauce.

"Thanks," Chandra mumbled into a steaming spoonful of stew. People bustled back and forth and the girl did her best to keep from getting in their way. Her bowl was almost empty when someone joined her at the table, the young boy she'd met before she and the others had left on the quest. _What's his name? Hazard, I think._ Taking a risk at getting it wrong, she said, "Hello, Hazard."

"Good evening," the boy said, scooping up some stew and blowing on it before taking a bite. "I heard the trip went well. How is Luxa?"

Hazard's informal use of his queen's name startled Chandra, then she remembered that he was Luxa's cousin, and exempt from the normal formality. "She's fine; in fact, she and Aurora saved my life."

"Have you seen her since you returned? I could not find her when I checked her rooms."

"Um, no," replied the girl, deciding not to mention she'd seen the other girl deep in conversation with Gregor. _I doubt those two would want to be interrupted_. "Haven't seen Twitch, either. Have you?"

The boy shook his head, staring glumly at his meal. "If he is not hurt, he will be on guard duty again."

"Oh." That made sense, now that the prophecy had been fulfilled Chandra was no longer be important and had no need for a bodyguard. _I want to stay here, but what can I do?_ Troubled, the girl dipped a chunk of bread in her stew and nibbled at it, ignoring the thick droplets that oozed down her chin. _Maybe I could get work at a farm or something._

"Are you staying here?" Hazard asked.

Chandra blinked. _Can he read minds? _"Staying where? Here in the palace, in Regalia or in the Underland in general?"

"Regalia."

"It depends."

"On what?"

"Why do you ask?" Chandra retorted, not wanting to admit that she felt useless.

"Luxa taught me to make polite conversation," muttered the boy, his eyes downcast. "Why would you not stay? Do you not like it here?"

"Regalia is a great place to live, but I'm not sure what I'd do if I lived here," she admitted, fiddling with her spoon.

"Luxa would let you stay in the palace, would she not?"

The girl shrugged. "I'd feel guilty if I lived here without contributing in some way."

"But you are a hero."

"Heroine," corrected Chandra, smiling. "And I'm not, really. Besides, that's not the point."

"Then what is?"

Shrugging again, the girl scraped her bowl clean, then licked her spoon before setting it down on the table. "It's...hard to explain." _Time to change the subject._ "Why were you looking for Luxa?"

"I have not seen her for a while. She is the only family I have."

"But she has at least one cousin, doesn't she? Doesn't that make you two related?"

"She is the only close family I have. Howard is nice, but busy a lot and his siblings..." Hazard made a face. "They are rude."

Feeling awkward, Chandra changed the topic. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"A diplomat. I am good at languages; gnawer, nibbler, flyer, hisser." There was a hint of sorrow when he mentioned the last species.

"Hissers?"

"Gregor calls them lizards." Hazard brightened. "Do you think Luxa might be visiting Gregor? He is still here; maybe that is where she is."

_Uh oh_. "Maybe, but from what I've seen, they wouldn't want to be interrupted if they were, would they? Could you help me find Twitchtongue, Hazard? I bet Luxa will come see you as soon as she can." _And I'll remind her if I get a chance._

"All right." Hazard finished his stew with one big gulp. "Twitchtongue may be in the soldiers' barracks, that is where he was stationed before you came. Follow me, I know where it is."


	26. Chapter 26

**Presario, a wonderful laptop, has died.  
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Chapter Twenty Six

The barracks were more crowded than usual, so Hazard left Chandra by the entrance and went in by himself. She could hear him greeting familiar faces and inquiring if anyone had seen Twitchtongue; the answer was generally negative.

_ I wonder if he's still in the hospital._ She thought, fidgeting. There hadn't been a chance for her to shower yet, and now that she'd eaten and become a little more awake, the girl easily noticed a distinct smell that hung in the air around her, not entirely unpleasant, but not completely pleasant, either. _That's probably why Hazard had me stand out here. _She decided, both amused and offended at the thought.

As if summoned by the sound of someone using his name, Hazard returned, shaking his head. "No one has seen Twitchtongue. I think we should try the hospital next."

"Actually, would you mind showing me where I could take a bath?" Chandra asked, wrinkling her nose. "I just realized I haven't had one for a while." Smiling when the boy laughed, the girl realized she hadn't brushed her teeth for a while, either. _I wonder if they have toothbrushes here._

With a short nod followed by more chuckles, the boy headed down the hall with a confident stride, and Chandra tagged along behind, studying the wall decorations along the way. Most were simple, not like the Path of History, but the more intricate ones showed peaceful scenes; children playing, adults washing clothes and cooking and plowing fields. It seemed the women and men worked alongside each other in most things, and Chandra smiled. _The Overland could take a few lessons from the Underland and be a better place_.

"Here is your room," Hazard said, interrupting her thoughts.

_Uh oh._ She thought, eyes landing on the door curtain she'd left drawn a few hours before. _What if they're still in there?_ "Um, Hazard, someone else was assigned my room while I was gone-"

Gregor chose that moment to poke his head out, having heard their voices. "Hi, Hazard, what's up? I haven't seen you around; you haven't been avoiding me or something, have you?" He winked to show he was joking, and gave Chandra a friendly smile. "Nice to see you again."

"Indeed," she replied, resisting the urge to ask if he'd seen her earlier when she walked in on him and Luxa.

"I have been busy training," Hazard said, shrugging. "Have you seen Luxa?"

The older boy's eyes shifted back and forth. "Um, no. Did you check her room? I bet she's taking a bath; which is something you could use, Chandra."

"I know," she said, wrinkling her nose. "But you're in my room."

"Oh, w-I mean, I didn't realize this one was occupied..."

It was tempting to let him squirm for a bit, but Chandra did want a bath, and she doubted Gregor and Luxa would like it if Hazard found out his cousin had visited Gregor before coming to see him. "That's okay. You can move all your stuff out while I-" She stopped, frowning. "I lost my backpack on the Waterway."

"Do you need clothes?" Gregor vanished into the room when she nodded, and returned with a t-shirt and jeans. "They're not exactly your size, but they're clean. Hazard, how about you help me find some better clothes for her?" he suggested, glancing at the younger boy, who nodded in pleased agreement.

"All right. Good-bye, Chandra."

"See you later, Hazard," she said, hiding a grin behind one hand. _Ten bucks says Luxa's still in the room._

Had she had someone take that bet, she would have won, because the queen was indeed inside, sitting on the bed, a heavy scowl on her face that only deepened when she saw Chandra. "What are you doing here?"

Chandra rolled her eyes. "This being the room I was assigned, I am going to take a bath. Hazard and Gregor went to find some different clothes for me, which gives you a chance to get out of here before your cousin finds out where your priorities are."

"What are you saying?" Luxa hissed, rising from her seat, eyes ablaze with anger.

"I'm saying that when you come back from a dangerous trip, you should check in with your family before going off with your boyfriend," snapped Chandra, remembering the look of disappointment Hazard had been wearing.

The queen folded her arms and shook her head. "Gregor is not my boyfriend."

"So I can have him?" Chandra laughed at the look on Luxa's face. "That was a joke, by the way... Have you seen Twitch?" she added, deciding a subject change was in order.

"Not since we returned. Perhaps he is in the hospital? He and Ripred had many wounds from the battle with the chewers."

"Maybe." The girl sighed. "Speaking of the battle, I don't think I ever properly thanked you for saving my life."

Luxa relaxed and said in a calmer voice, "It was nothing. No doubt the Council will complain that I was foolish in going on the quest at all, but you did fulfill the prophecy."

"I don't understand why so many had to come along," Chandra sighed. "Most spent the entire trip doing almost nothing."

"Their presence was required to fulfill the prophecy. You should hurry and bathe, Overlander, for the Council will convene in half an hour and wishes to have you present."

"Does the Council control your life?"

Luxa looked confused. "No."

"I mean, would they approve about you and Gregor?"

Eyes narrowing, the queen snapped, "There is no 'me and Gregor'. We are simply friends."

"If there was?"

"They would not approve," Luxa admitted quietly.

"Then I wish two you luck," Chandra said, grinning. "Breaking stupid rules is something _I_ approve. I'll go bathe now," she added before the other girl could say anything, and hurried into the small bathroom.

Ten minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, hair still dripping wet and jeans held up by her right hand clutching the front, to find Hazard sitting on the bed, a pile of clothes next to him. He was talking to Luxa, the cousins' backs to her, and she took the clothing, then hightailed it back the way she'd come, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.

With clothes on that actually fit, Chandra felt ready for whatever she needed to get done before sleeping, though she hoped the Council meeting would not last a long time. Luxa stopped talking when Chandra came out of the bathroom the second time, and nodded to her.

"The Overlander and I must leave now," she told Hazard. "We shall continue our conversation later. Keep practicing, you are doing well."

Chandra could tell Hazard valued Luxa's praise above anyone else's, his entire face glowed with pride. "Thank you," he murmured.

Luxa gave him a quick hug, then gestured toward the door. "Follow me, Overlander, we must hurry."

"What's the rush? It's been fifteen minutes, if that."

"Do you know what a bond is?"

Confused by the question, Chandra gave a short nod. "Yes, Twitch explained it to me a while ago. Why do you ask?"

Luxa seemed surprised by the other girl's answer, but she quickly recovered and shook her head. "No reason."

The Council room awoke bad memories for Chandra, and she was glad Fissin had gone home. She did not want a repeat of what had happened last time. All six council members welcomed her by name, and she responded to each with a brief, "Thank you," wishing she could remember what their names were.

Radi, Lumi, Ripred, and Twitchtongue were there as well as Chandra and Luxa. Both shiners looked uneasy, glancing about, their lights flickering. _They must not be used to such small spaces,_ Chandra thought, and offered Lumi a comforting smile.

"We welcome you home, Queen Luxa," said the black and white flyer at the Council table.

"Come why, the shiners, come why?" the crawler asked, antennae quivering.

"We request permission to visit your fine city for a while," Lumi said, giving a short bow to the Council. "We are willing and able to work if need be."

"You are, anyway," Radi muttered, falling silent at a sharp look from her sister.

"What say you, your highness?"

"I welcome the shiners Radiance and Illumina to the Regalia," Luxa replied.

"Thank you," Lumi said, and at a nod from the black and white flyer, she and her sister left.

"The next order of business is the hooter," said the nibbler. "He refuses to say where he is from or give us any information whatsoever, except that he will not be returning to his former home, nor will he be staying around here for long."

Chandra gulped, she'd almost forgotten the promise she'd made with Tyn. _He's going to ask me to tell him how to reach the Overland soon. What am I going to do?_

"He may remain in Regalia for as long as he wishes," Luxa said, trying to hide her boredom. "What must I see to?"

"That finishes this part of the meeting and you may now tell us what happened on the quest, so the rumors that fly on swift wings even now can be corrected with facts."

Leaning against a wall, Chandra watched and listened as Luxa told the condensed version of their tale, downplaying her own part in Chandra's rescue and making it clear that the Overlander had saved the day. Chandra's face reddened at the queen's praise, but she said nothing.

"These chewers, then, were the enemy all along," said the nibbler.

The gnawer at the Council table nodded. "'_Riseth doth the chewing force'_. We misunderstood that part of the prophecy, thinking it referred to the cutters. This makes it clear that exploring the Uncharted Lands is something that must be done before another such disaster looms."

"We will discuss that at a later time," the flyer said. "There was one last matter to be resolved. Overlander, have you decided whether you wish to stay here or return to the Overland?"

"If I can, I'd like to stay here," Chandra replied, folding her arms. "There's nothing in the Overland for me to return to."

"Your highness?"

"She is welcome to stay," Luxa repeated in the tone she used when commenting on Tyn – however, a glint appeared in her eyes as she spoke and she gave Chandra a swift wink.

Twitchtongue breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you would go back," he admitted to his friend in a whisper.

"You may leave this meeting now, Overlander, your part is done," said the flyer. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Chandra bowed, like Lumi had done, then headed out the door, thankful that she didn't have to sit – or stand – through the entire meeting. From the bored look on Luxa's face, she guessed it was going to be a long one. Twitchtongue followed her, though Ripred stayed inside.

"Where've you been, Twitch?" Chandra asked once the door had shut behind them. "I was looking for you earlier."

"I was in the hospital a long time, then I had to talk to Ripred." When her normally talkative friend didn't elaborate, Chandra began to worry.

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, you see, Ripred said I was too young and needed to think about it more because I don't understand the responsibility, but I really think I do."

"What responsibility?"

"Of being bonded," the rat said quietly. "Normally it's flyers and humans who bond, but Ripred and Luxa are, and I want to be yours. You can say no," he added hastily, then shook his head and sighed. "Sorry, that came out all wrong."

Chandra smiled. "Thanks, Twitch," she said, hugging her friend. "I'd love to be your bond."

Ears pricked up, Twitchtongue gasped, "You would? I thought you'd say no."

"No way I'd do that, you're my best friend."

Luxa's voice spoke up behind them. "Shall I make arrangements for the celebratory feast, then?"

Chandra jumped and glanced over her shoulder to find Ripred and Luxa standing outside the closed the door. How they had managed to slip out with her noticing, she didn't know, but she managed a nod in Luxa's direction. "A feast?"

"A bonding ceremony is usually concluded with a feast," explained Luxa, smiling.

"I'll make sure there's plenty of shrimp in cream sauce," Ripred promised, heading down the hall. "You take care of the other details, your highness."

Luxa opened the Council room door and stuck her head inside. "May I interrupt for a moment?"

"Of course, Queen Luxa."

"We need to do a quick bonding ceremony."

The flurry of excitement that followed was almost enough to make Chandra change her mind – she had not expected such a commotion over a simple thing. Or perhaps bonding wasn't as simple as she had thought.

Either way, within minutes Chandra found herself in the Council room again, this time holding Twitchtongue's paw, Luxa standing behind her and whispering the correct words into her ear. The Council members and Ripred – who'd returned from the kitchens in record time – gathered on the opposite side of the room, watching them with solemn eyes.

Mouth dry, Chandra had to lick her lips twice before she could speak clear enough to be heard and understood. "Twitchtongue the gnawer, I bond to you. Our life and death are one, we two. In dark, in flame, in war, in strife, I save you as I save my life."

After a slight pause, the gnawer repeated the words, substituting her name and race for his. "Chandra the human, I bond to you. Our life and death are one, we two. In dark, in flame, in war, in strife, I save you as I save my life."

Chandra took a deep breath and released Twitchtongue's paw, then glanced at Luxa. "Is that it?" she asked, surprised at how easy the ceremony had been. _I don't feel any different. Well, other than being happy, but I've been that way ever since I met Twitch. I'm glad he asked me to be his bond, it gives me another reason to stay in this wonderful place._ Impulsively the girl gave her bond a hug. "Thanks, Twitch," she whispered, before releasing him.

"Yes," Luxa said, smiling. "You are free to go now, unless you would like to watch a Council meeting."

"No, thank you," Chandra and Twitchtongue chorused, and they hurried out, a ripple of laughter following them.

"What would you like to do now?" the gnawer asked, ears perked up and eyes bright. "I don't have to report to guard duty until tomorrow."

Feeling overwhelmed, Chandra spread her hands in a helpless fashion. _I'm still trying to take in everything that's happened so far today._ _"_What time is it?"

"A little after noon."

"Could we go to the large arena?" begged the girl. "I'd like to do some flying without chewers trying to kill me and where the walls aren't eight feet apart." _And it'll give me a chance to think about everything. Things keep changing so fast that I can't keep up._ She closed her eyes, holding the turmoil of thoughts at bay. _A good flight should clear my mind, though. At least, I hope it will._

"All right. The arena is this way," said her friend, trotting down the hall. "Race you?"

_Thankfully, some things never change_, Chandra thought, grinning. "You bet!"


	27. Chapter 27

**One chapter to go after this.  
Possibly a sequel in the not-so-near future.  
We'll see...**

**A big thank you to my awesome beta Mep for her constant help!  
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Chapter Twenty Seven

A loud argument greeted Chandra when she and Twitchtongue entered the arena. Tyn stood nearby, towering over the two men who were shouting at him and occasionally each other. Silent as stone, the hooter glared down, his sharp talons piercing the moss that covered the floor. Feathers fluffed out and wings folded tight, he resembled a crouching predator, ready to pounce any second. After a quick glance at Twitchtongue, Chandra hurried over, hoping she'd be able to solve the conflict before anyone got hurt.

"...unsafe for the flyers!" yelled the taller of the two men as the girl drew near. It wasn't difficult to figure out what the conversation had been about, and holding back a sigh, Chandra stepped between the men and the hooter.

"Excuse me," she murmured to the humans, turning to look up at the large bird. "Tyn, what's going on?"

Tyn huffed and scratched his talons against the floor, the rasping noise making both men wince. "These humans say I cannot fly here."

The shorter man shrugged when the girl sent a frown toward him and his companion. "The flyers are practicing battle maneuvers. Civilians must wait their turn. You three should not even be here at the moment."

The hooter's beak snapped together. "I want to fly _now_. Get your queen down here; she will sort this mess out."

This time the tall man spoke. "I am afraid that is impossible. Queen Luxa does not have the time to solve every small problem that comes our way, and I am in charge here. You must leave immediately."

Chandra nodded. "We will, then, so as not to disturb your training. Would it be all right to fly above the city?"

"If you do not hinder passage for others," the taller man said.

Chandra reached over and gave the hooter a gentle push, trying not to think about the sharp claws she was standing beside. "Come on, Tyn, let's get some fresh air. Twitch, what's the fastest way out of the palace?"

"This way." Twitchtongue headed out the way they'd come in, and Chandra all but dragged and pushed Tyn after the gnawer. It wasn't far to an entrance that was above ground – far above. Not that Chandra minded; it meant less people to watch her take off.

"You may ride on my back," Tyn offered the gnawer, who declined.

"Ripred wanted to talk to me about something. I will find you later, Chandra."

"Okay, see you." The girl almost asked if she could go with him, but the urge to fly was becoming overwhelming, so she hopped onto the balcony and jumped off, wings spreading to halt her fall and let her swoop up, then around a nearby building. Her wings were almost healed, and with a few power strokes she was gliding across the grey stone city. Regalia was a beautiful place to fly over, and Chandra let herself relax, drifting down a few stories before rising again, coming close to walls to study the carved decorations, then returning to open air.

"Overlander, we had a deal." Tyn's voice was an unwelcome interruption to her flight, but the girl sighed, knowing he wouldn't let the matter rest until he was satisfied.

"We did," she agreed, swallowing hard. "And you upheld your part of it."

"Now you must do the same."

Chandra folded her arms, looking everywhere but at the hooter as she lied. "I don't know the way."

"What?" Tyn screeched.

"When I entered the Underland, I fell, and Twitch found me. So I don't know how I came in. I've heard there is an exit above the Waterway somewhere, but I don't know the exact location. I'm sorry," she finished, realizing as she said it that she actually meant the apology. Guilt knotted her stomach, but not enough to make her change her mind about not telling him where the entrance lay.

"Killers have always been notorious liars." Beak clicking shut, Tyn fixed a firm yellow glare on the girl, who flinched, preparing to flee if she had to. "Do not look so worried, Overlander, I will not harm you. You have at least given me a clue to the entrance's location, which is more than I had before." Banking, he headed in the direction of the Waterway.

Chandra flew after him. "Wait, Tyn, it's too dangerous! Why can't you stay here? The Overland's full of dangers you can't even imagine, you could die up there."

"Better to die under the moon than cold rock," retorted the hooter, increasing his pace until the girl could no longer keep up. "Farewell, Overlander."

Hovering in the air, Chandra buried her face in her hands. _What have I done? The Waterway is too dangerous... I should have picked a different place. He's going to die and it's all my fault, but if I'd told him the truth, he would have wreaked havoc in the Overland._ Too dejected to fly anymore, she headed back to the palace.

Something shook the girl's shoulder roughly, and Chandra cracked open one eye, then moaned, "I was trying to sleep, Twitch, did you have to wake me up?"

"The feast had been prepared," he said, pushing her off the bed. "It is a joint celebration of the triumphant return from the quest and our bonding ceremony. Are you not hungry?"

"Ouch! Not really," she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her banged head while a yawn split her face. "But I suppose I have to attend whether I'm hungry or not."

The rat nodded, his red fur glistening in the torch light. "You better get dressed."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Chandra looked down and smoothed her shirt. "This cloth is practically impossible to wrinkle, isn't it?"

"That's not the point. You're supposed to be dressed nicely for this feast, and that means a dress."

Images of a long ago party and a stifling hot dress rose in the girl's mind, and she shook her head. "Oh, no. No way. No, no, no! I'm not wearing a dress!"

Fifteen minutes later, Chandra had bathed and changed, and was walking alongside her friend toward the banquet room. The dress she wore was loose and thin, with an open back that did not hinder her wings. It also made her feel completely exposed, and she folded and unfolded her arms, uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I like this dress."

"Why not? Queen Luxa had it designed for you and the spinners worked hard to make it in time."

"I'm used to something covering my wings except when I open them," the girl explained, hunching her shoulders. "With them out in the open like this, I feel...vulnerable."

"Do not worry; you only have to wear it for a few hours." Twitchtongue was silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you seen Tyn? Several guards searched for him to invite him to the feast, but no one could find him anywhere. The last person who saw him was you, as far as I know."

"He went toward the Waterway," Chandra said quietly. "I think he might be dead, and it's all my fault..." She trailed off with a quiet sob. "I lied to him."

Twitchtongue looked appalled. "What? Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Chandra regained control and explained what had happened as quickly as she could, starting with the deal she'd made with the hooter in the beginning. Her friend's expression became grimmer with each word.

"You told him there was an entrance to the Overland somewhere along the Waterway?"

"Yes. As obsessed as he is, he'll keep searching until his strength gives out and..." Chandra couldn't finish her sentence.

Twitchtongue started to laugh, not a cheerful sound, closer to hysterical. "You thought there wasn't a passage to the Overland along the Waterway?"

"No," groaned Chandra, closing her eyes, "please tell me I didn't tell him the right place by mistake."

"If he can find the entrance, he'll make it to the Overland," the red rat said, confirming Chandra's fears. "It was foolish to tell him such a thing without knowing for sure it was a lie."

"But the chance he'll find the place is still small, right?"

"Very, the opening is not a large one and is well hidden, but there is still a chance."

"Well," said Chandra finally, after thinking about it for several minutes. "There's nothing we can do about it. If he finds the way, he finds the way. Let's just enjoy the celebration."

Twitchtongue nodded in agreement.

Chandra had never seen so much food in her life. Tables were scattered across the huge room, covered with so much food that had they been made of wood, they would have no doubt broken in half. Humans, flyers and a few members of several other species wandered about, serving themselves, or sat and ate while speaking with others nearby.

The noise level was high, and Chandra resisted the urge to cover her ears – it would not have helped much as her hands were full with a plate, silverware, a cloth napkin and a mug of cool water. She served herself small helpings of things she recognized, like fish and bread, and avoided anything that looked questionable, after trying one strange dish, a lumpy white one that jiggled when disturbed and tasted like old socks – or, rather, what she thought socks might taste like after they'd sat in a closet for many years.

Many people greeted her, and she tried to return the favor, but they could easily tell she was an Overlander, and addressed her as such, while she was at the disadvantage of not knowing their names. Calling each one Underlander seemed a bit rude, so at last Chandra simply nodded in acknowledgement and focused on her meal. She was offered a seat by plenty of people, but refused each one on the grounds that she was more comfortable standing after sitting in a boat for weeks.

She spotted Twitchtongue often, but not at close range. Ripred had dragged the younger gnawer off without a word of warning the moment they'd stepped inside the room and Twitchtongue had not yet gotten a chance to escape. Hazard was there, too, the youngest in the room, and he stuck close to his cousin, who sat at the head table, greeting each person who spoke to her with a cordial voice, even when her mouth was full.

Aurora hailed Chandra from behind, and the girl turned, her almost forced smile becoming completely real at the sight of the friendly flyer. "Hello, Aurora," she said. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"I have been to many such banquets," replied Aurora, shrugging her wings. "They are all enjoyable, but much the same. And you, Overlander?"

"It's okay," Chandra said, flinching when someone walked behind her close enough to brush her wings, which folded even tighter against her back. "I'm not used to wearing a dress, though. It's not very comfortable."

Purring with amusement, the flyer said, "I have never figured out the human need for covering themselves. Luxa asked me several times on our way here whether she looked all right."

"She's trying to impress someone," chuckled Chandra, gesturing toward the head table, where Gregor had finally arrived and was speaking with Luxa, whose entire face had brightened. Hazard didn't look too pleased, but someone – an older man who looked vaguely familiar – distracted the boy with an offer of a strawberry tart.

"Indeed. Unfortunately, Gregor must return to the Overland tomorrow. Luxa and I will be escorting him." Aurora glanced at Chandra, who had a wistful look on her face. "Is something wrong, Overlander?"

"I want to stay here, and I will," Chandra said, "but...I do miss the Overland. Not all of it, but the bird chirping and the sunlight and the stars." She sighed. "I don't suppose you would mind having me come along with you?"

"You are welcome to join us, Overlander."

"Please call me Chandra, Aurora, or I'll start calling you flyer, because this 'Overlander' thing is getting old. Besides, if I stay down here, I won't be an Overlander anymore."

"You always will be an Overlander," the flyer replied. "That cannot be changed, no more than your hair color or your wings. But I will call you Chandra if you wish."

"Thank you." Chandra decided not to dwell on the topic of whether she was or was not an Overlander or Underlander, and headed for the dessert tables, hoping to find a strawberry tart or two. She was in luck, and found several platters of the sweets, along with other things that looked just as good. _If I ate like this every day, I wouldn't be able to fly,_ she thought, nibbling on her fourth tart. A man pushed past to reach the tarts, and Chandra retreated to the nearest wall, tired of people bumping into her wings. _I hope this party doesn't last too much longer._


	28. Chapter 28

**Well, last chapter.  
Sorry it took so long to get up - meant to put it up the day before we left for internet-less vacation and...forgot.**

**Thank you for reading, reviewing and (hopefully) enjoying this story.  
I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm especially grateful to my wonderful beta Mep,  
who has helped make it so much better than it started out.**

**THANK YOU ALL!  
**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Eight

It felt like she'd just fallen asleep when Chandra was awakened the next morning by a guard gently shaking her shoulder. "The queen requests you join her for breakfast," he informed her, his tone of voice making it clear that 'request' was simply a polite substitute for 'order'. "I shall wait outside while you dress."

_It's too early_, the girl complained in the privacy of her mind, but she crawled out of bed and began pulling on the first item she grabbed from the chair she'd been keeping her clothes on, only to find it was the dress from the night before, washed and returned sometime in the night. Grumbling under her breath, Chandra discarded the dress with more force than necessary and pulled the next piece of clothing off the chair, only to discover it too was a dress. _What on earth is going on here?_ Rummaging in the pile on the chair, she found that her pants and shirts had all been replaced with dresses. "No, no, no!" Scowling at the innocent-looking pile, Chandra put the shirt and pants she'd been using for pajamas back on and stalked out.

Shaking his head, the guard scolded her. "That is not acceptable attire for breakfast with Queen Luxa."

"You can inform whoever keeps taking my clothing that I don't like wearing dresses," she retorted, folding her arms. "When I have some decent clothing to wear, I'll wear it."

The guard sighed, but did not pursue the matter. "There is not time to change now; her highness is awaiting your arrival."

Chandra gestured down the hall. "Lead the way, then," she said, then attempted to smooth the worst wrinkles in her shirt once the guard had turned away. _He's right, I should have worn a dress, but I refuse to be forced to do so. If they'd given me a choice..._ The girl rolled her eyes at her own self-denial. _No, I wouldn't have worn one, even if they _had_ given me a choice._

"In there," said the guard, halting and indicating a doorway identical to those on either side.

"Thank you," Chandra remembered to say, then she headed inside to find Luxa and Gregor sitting at a table, already eating. "You sent for me?" She asked the queen, hesitating in the entrance, one hand resting on the stone doorframe.

"Yes, sit down," Luxa said, pointing her fork at an empty chair. "We leave for the surface in about an hour, and the trip will take until noon. Can you fly that long, Overlander?"

"Come on, Luxa, knock off the Overlander talk," Gregor said, picking up his mug of water. "I'll bet Chandra hates it as much as I do."

"Can you fly that long, Chandra?" Luxa repeated, shooting Gregor a slight frown.

Sitting down, Chandra nodded and reached for a slice of bread with one hand, the butter with another. "How long is the trip, hour-wise?"

"Three or four."

"As long as I can rest for an hour before we return, I should be all right... No, my wing's not healed enough yet." Chandra sighed. "Perhaps I should stay here."

"I bet Nike wouldn't mind carrying you part of the way," said Gregor. "That is, if you really want to go."

Face reddening, Chandra turned her gaze down and focused on spreading a thin layer of butter over her bread. "I'd like to say good-bye to everything up there," she mumbled. "But I don't wish to impose on anyone," she added in a firmer voice.

"Very well." Luxa stood and went over to the doorway, stuck her head out and spoke to guard standing outside, her voice muffled by the thick door hanging. "Please ask Nike if she would mind accompanying us to the Overland tunnel."

The reply was quiet, but Chandra's keen hearing caught it. "Yes, your highness," the guard said, and footsteps announced his departure. Luxa returned to the table and continued eating.

"So are you really staying down here?" Gregor asked, picking up his fork. "What will your mother think?"

Chandra couldn't help laughing. "She's not my mother; she's a scientist, part of the government group responsible for genetic engineering. Her boss has probably fired her for losing me. They must think I'm dead." Her happiness at this thought brought a cheerful smile to her face.

"Can you use echolocation like the flyers?"

"Yes. I can also hear higher sounds than human ears can handle, and speak at that level if I need to-" Chandra stopped and coughed, something had been happening often since the battle with the chewers. "Excuse me; I must sound like I'm bragging."

Gregor grinned. "You do have a good reason to. I think it's really neat that you can fly. Do you remember the first time you flew?"

Gritting her teeth, Chandra nodded. "It wasn't a pleasant experience. Anything else you'd like to know, or may I eat my breakfast?"

"Have you seen Howard?" Luxa asked Gregor, smoothly changing the subject.

While the two friends chatted about people they knew, Chandra finished her breakfast in silence, wishing she had declined the queen's invitation. _I wonder why she invited me. It's obvious she and Gregor would rather be alone._

"Oh," Gregor said, interrupting himself. "I almost forgot why I asked you about your mother – I mean, the scientist lady. She stopped by my family's apartment before leaving and asked us to call her if she saw you around. Mrs. Cormaci was over and wanted to know why she didn't call the police, but the scientist lady left without answering."

Chandra half-smiled, "the government wouldn't want the local police involved, I'm classified. I'm full, too," she added, standing. "If you don't mind, I'll be in my room until it's time to leave."

"One more thing," said Gregor, raising his hand. "Mrs. Cormaci said if you returned, she'd let you stay with her for as long as you like, and Mom says you're welcome at our place, too, so if you ever need a vacation or something, come visit."

"I will, and I'll bring Luxa if I can," Chandra replied, grinning when the boy's face started to turn red. "I bet you'd like her company better than mine."

"It would be difficult for me to find time," Luxa said stiffly, though Chandra could see the longing in the girl's eyes.

"You're queen," Chandra retorted. "You can do whatever you want." With that parting remark, she left the room and headed for her own bedroom, hoping she could remember the way.

A while later, Twitchtongue came racing down the hall, shouting her name. He skidded to a stop, claws scraping against the stone floor, and gasped, "Where have you been? We've been searching for you for ages, Gregor and Queen Luxa and you are supposed to have left ten minutes ago."

"Where are they leaving from?" Chandra asked, looking up and down the hall. "Run, Twitch, I don't want to be left behind."

"I doubt...they'll leave you...behind," Twitchtongue gasped as they dashed down the hall at a breakneck speed. "I'm...going as...bodyguard to...Queen Luxa. Nike will be...carrying us...both."

"I'll fly...part of the...way," Chandra said, then she had to halt mid-step, a coughing fit taking over.

"Chandra?" Her bond's voice was filled with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, straightening, one hand on her throat, which had begun to ache. "We better hurry."

For the rest of their trip through the palace halls, the red rat kept a close eye on his friend and made sure their pace stayed at nothing faster than jog. The girl's breathing sounded fine, but her voice had sounded raspy, like it had after the battle. After a few days her voice had gotten better; if it was growing worse again, she'd need to see a doctor. Twitchtongue made a mental note to mention that fact to Ripred, or better yet, Luxa, when he got a chance.

While Luxa and Gregor said good-bye, Chandra wandered around the park, not straying more than a hundred feet from the tunnel opening, simply taking in the sounds and smells. Sweet grass, hot tar from a nearby road, chirping insects, all things she might not ever see again. Tilting her head back, she stared at the dark sky with its sprinkling of stars. Their timing had been perfect, it was just before morning in the Overland , and no one was around to witness three people coming out of a round hole hidden beneath a large stone.

"Chandra, we should get going," Luxa called softly, as Gregor walked away, glancing back frequently. "The sun will be up soon." Without waiting for the other girl, she climbed down through the hole.

Walking slowly toward the tunnel entrance, Chandra took a deep breath, wincing at the taste of pollutants, but relishing the scent all the same. _Will I ever come back? I didn't want to, but now I don't know how I could leave this forever._ Raising a hand, she traced with a finger the few constellations she could see and remember. _If it's this hard to leave, I shouldn't return again. Good-bye, Overland ._ Sunlight shimmered at the edge of the horizon, staining the dying night a pale pink, and the girl sighed.

"Chandra, we really must leave," Twitchtongue insisted, poking his head out of the hole.

"All right," she said, reaching the entrance at last. "Let's go." Taking a step down to ladder, she looked up one last time, staring at the split face of the half moon. Her namesake. A shadow passed across it, and the girl gasped, goosebumps rising on her arms, a chill of fear creeping down her spine. "It can't be."

"What's wrong?" asked her bond, nudging her aside, and squinting at the night sky. "What did you see?"

For a brief moment, Chandra thought her eyes had tricked her, but the shadow flitted through the moonlight again, and this time she knew it was no lie. Wings outspread, too large to belong to any Overland creature; it passed like a ghost through the night and vanished.

"It's Tyn," Chandra said, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the cool metal rungs of the ladder. "He found the way out."

"But you said it was too dangerous, the humans could capture him and..."

"They _will_ capture him," the girl whispered, heart aching. "Scientists will poke and prod him, trying to figure out his secrets, and eventually discover that he can speak. Then they'll learn of the Underland, and once that happens..." She didn't need to finish her sentence. Horrified realization had sparked in Twitchtongue's eyes.

Luxa gasped. "He could doom us all."

"Not if I can stop it," Chandra replied, knuckles turning white as she tightened her grip on the ladder rungs. "I'll have to go after him."

"I'll go with you," said Twitchtongue.

"It's too dangerous, someone will discover who you are and it would be the same as if they'd caught Tyn. You're a great warrior, but even Ripred couldn't hold out against human scientists, Twitch." Chandra shuddered, remembering the prick of needles in her skin, the screams of her fellow experiments, the terrible corpses left behind when something went wrong. There was no way she would let her friend get caught by the scientists. "Besides," she continued, thinking of an argument even Twitchtongue could not win, "someone must warn the Underland of Tyn 's escape. They must be ready to flee if the humans come."

"Flee where?" demanded Luxa.

"The Uncharted Lands," Chandra said grimly. "Should the scientists find evidence of a civilization down here, your only hope to survive is to run and hide far away from Regalia."

"What if you get captured by those scientists who had you before?" Twitchtongue asked. "It's my job to protect you, remember?"

"I'll be careful, and I will return if I can." Chandra clenched her teeth fighting back tears, and gave the red rat a quick hug. "Be careful, and don't try to fight if people find a way down... They'll have guns and bombs and worse."

"If you can, stay in contact with Gregor," Luxa said. "He can pass messages on to us."

Chandra wasn't sure how well that would work, but she nodded in agreement all the same. "I will try." Taking a deep breath, she started climbing the ladder, soon returning to the world she'd only moments before been ready leave forever.

"Be careful, Chandra," Twitchtongue called after her, and a momentary burst of selfishness had her wishing she could turn around and forget about Tyn and the danger she had put him and the Underland in.

"You, too, Twitch," she said, then pushed the cover rock into place and stood there for a moment, watching the sun rise, a sight she had not expected to see again for a long time. Then she headed toward the road. Ten minutes later, she caught up with Gregor as he reached the apartment building where his family lived. "Gregor, do you have a minute? We need to talk."

"Chandra? What's wrong?" The boy took off his jacket and handed it to her. "Better put this on, your wings are showing."

Chandra sighed and draped the jacket over her shoulders. She'd have to get used to keeping her wings completely out of sight again. "Do you want to help save the Underland?"

"That used to be my job." Gregor laughed uneasily. "Is this a joke?"

"Actually, it's a long story..."

_To Be Continued In Book Two_


End file.
